EB714
Epping Forest District Council Playing Pitch Strategy – Full Analysis
4 global Consulting
March 2018 Version 7.0
4 global | tel:0208 1234 693 email: [email protected] www.4global.com
4 global | tel:0208 1234 693 | email: [email protected] www.4global.com EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION AND METHODOLOGY ...... 3
STRATEGIC CONTEXT ...... 8
FOOTBALL ANALYSIS ...... 32
CRICKET ANALYSIS...... 76
RUGBY UNION ...... 107
HOCKEY ...... 124
SCENARIO TESTING AND OPTIONS APPRAISAL ...... 134
RECOMMENDATIONS AND ACTION PLAN ...... 139
DELIVERING THE PLAYING PITCH STRATEGY ...... 150
4 global Consulting Terms of Reference
It is not possible to guarantee the fulfilment of any estimates or forecasts contained within this report, although they have been conscientiously prepared on the basis of our research and information made available to us at the time of the study.
The author(s) will not be held liable to any party for any direct or indirect losses, financial or otherwise, associated with any contents of this report. We have relied on a number of areas of information provided by the client and have not undertaken additional independent verification of this data.
Page 2 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Introduction and Methodology
Project Scope and Objectives Epping Forest District Council has commissioned 4 global Consulting to prepare a Playing Pitch Strategy, to provide the Council with a clear evidence base and set of recommendations for future outdoor sports facility development across the District. A PPS is a strategic assessment that provides an up to date analysis of supply and demand for playing pitches (grass and artificial) in the local authority. The strategy and the evidence base upon which it is based is delivered using national guidance and facility insight from specific Governing Bodies of Sport. The assessment will focus on facilities used by the following sports1:
• Football • Rugby Union • Cricket • Hockey Within these sports, the strategy will seek as far as is practicable to include consideration of all forms of play, whether;
• Club and league based (formal) play and training • Less formal programmed forms of the respective sports (e.g. turn up and play ‘products’ such as Rush Hockey, Mash-up Football, Last Man Stands Cricket, Cage Cricket and Touch Rugby) • Informal and un-programmed play by groups of residents, workers, students, school friends (out of school) It should be noted that in parallel to the PPS, the Epping Forest District Council (hereafter referred to as EFDC or the Council), has also commissioned 4 global Consulting to undertake a Built Facilities Strategy (BFS), to provide a strategic analysis of built sports and leisure facilities (typically indoor) across the local authority. The BFS will assess the supply and demand of sports halls, swimming pools and health and fitness facilities, as well as sport specific facilities including squash courts and gymnastics facilities. In conjunction with the BFS, the PPS will provide a holistic analysis of sports facilities across the study area, leading to a comprehensive set of recommendations for the future development of facilities, in line with the demands needs of local residents. The consultant team has worked with the Council to provide a strategy that is fit-for-purpose and addresses the specific issues and risks for the area. It is key that this Playing Pitch Strategy reflects the local context and enables the Council to maximise the amount of high quality sporting provision for its residents, while understanding the need to meet planning and housing requirements. The Strategy will therefore aim to deliver against the following drivers:
• Contribution to the Epping Forest District Council Local Plan through the
1 Rugby League is typically included within the scope of a Playing Pitch Strategy however there are no active Rugby League clubs currently playing in the District. Following consultation with the RFL, it is apparent that Epping Forest District is designated as neither a ‘Core’ or ‘Emerging’ Affinity Area for the NGB, and therefore it is unlikely to benefit from significant funding in the near future from the RFL. Notwithstanding this, the nearby Boroughs of Enfield, Redbridge, Waltham Forest and Havering are all designated as Emerging Affinity Areas.
Page 3 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
provision of a clear action plan with owners and defined timescales for completion; • Recognition of the importance of outdoor physical activity and sport and the clear demonstration of how these should be prioritised within any development or regeneration project; • Provision of an evidenced based approach and the management of a clear sign- off and governance structure for key stakeholders; and • Evidence to support a wider review into sport and physical activity provision, including housing and population growth projected in neighbouring local authorities.
Methodology The assessment methodology adopted for the PPS follows the published guidance from Sport England. The guidance used is the 2013 version, Playing Pitch Strategy Guidance – An Approach to Developing and Delivering a Playing Pitch Strategy2. Figure 1 summarises the approach proposed in this guidance and is broken down into 10 steps.
Figure 1.1: Developing and Delivering a Playing Pitch Strategy – The 10 Step Approach (Sport England, 2013)
1. Prepare and tailor the approach
10. Keep the strategy robust 2. Gather supply information and views
9. Apply & deliver the 3. Gather demand strategy information and views
8. Write and adopt the strategy 4. Understand the situation at individual sites
7. Develop the recommendations & action 5. Develop the future and plan current pictures of provision
6. Identify the key findings
2 https://www.sportengland.org/media/3522/pps-guidance-october-2013-updated.pdf
Page 4 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
The findings in this report are based on data collected from several credible sources, including but not limited to;
• Local authority and public policy strategic documentation; • Sport England tools, including the Facility Planning Model (FPM), Active Places Power, the Active People Survey, Market Segmentation and the Sports Facility Calculator; • Stakeholder consultation, including EFDC Officers and Members, Sport England, Active Essex, Relevant National Governing Bodies of Sport, key user clubs; and • Site visits, undertaken at all strategically important sites across the study area. To facilitate information gathering and help ensure PPS reports are based on a robust evidence base, 4 global has developed an online data entry and assessment platform (see example below), which contains all site and club information. This will enable the Council to keep supply and demand information and the strategy up to date through to the end of the strategy and beyond.
Figure 1.2 - 4 global’s Online Playing Pitch Platform
A Project Steering Group comprising representation from the Council, Sport England and National Governing Bodies of Sport (NGBs) has guided the study from its commencement. At critical milestones, the Steering Group members have reviewed and verified the data and information collected to allow the work to proceed efficiently through each stage.
Page 5 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
The Structure of our Report The structure of the PPS report is as follows
• Section 1 – Introduction and Methodology • Section 2 – Strategic Context • Section 3 – Football • Section 4 – Cricket • Section 5 – Rugby • Section 6 – Hockey • Section 7 – Scenario Testing • Section 8 – Recommendations and Action Plan • Section 9 – Delivering the Playing Pitch Strategy Supporting information is included in the appendices and referenced throughout. In addition to the detailed report, an Executive Summary has also been produced, which brings together the key outputs of the study, as well as the main issues and opportunities for each sport and the overall Action Plan. This is included as a separate document.
Page 6 of 155
EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Strategic Context
Page 7 of 155
EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Strategic Context
Epping Forest District Epping Forest District is located in in West Essex, with the local authority bordering Greater London to the south and south-west. The local authority is made up of a number of settlements, with large areas of open space and rural woodland spread across sections of the local authority Areas around Buckhurst Hill, Chigwell, Waltham Abbey and Loughton are all part of the Greater London Built-up Area however the District is named after, and contains a large part of Epping Forest, labelled as “London’s largest open space”. To the north-west, the District borders Hertfordshire, Waltham Forest to the south-west and Havering to the south-east. On the west of the Local authority sits the Lee Valley National Park, a park and waterway that also connects with London all the way down to the Thames. The District is bisected north to south by the M11 and east to west by the M25 with junctions to connect with each. The Local authority has excellent connections to London via 8 central line stations. The major market town of Epping lies 19 miles north-east of the centre of London. The District also has two towns and four District centres – Loughton/Loughton Broadway and Buckhurst Hill in the south, Waltham Abbey to the west, and Ongar in the east. The District boasts many green open spaces, including Lee Valley Park, a 10,000 acre 26-mile- long linear park running through the north-east of greater London and also Epping Forest, a historic woodland straddling the border between Greater London and Essex. Open spaces across the District are subject to a variety of planning designations, which support the protection of wildlife and landscape. More specifically, the Lee Valley Regional Park has a number of Special Protection Areas (SPA) and Sites of Specific Scientific Interest (SSSI), as well as being designated as a Ramsar site. Additional, Epping Forest is a designated Special Area of Conservation (SAC). Information on all of the statutorily protected sites (SAC, SSSI, Ramsar and SPA sites) can be found on the Natural England website; http://www.natureonthemap.org.uk/.
Planning Policy Introduction There are a number of key national and local strategies and policies which inform and influence the development of these strategies. These policies inform the approach to current and future provision of sports facilities, linked to health improvement, increased participation, and the appropriate levels of provision of facilities to meet local needs. From a planning perspective, the national agenda makes the link between national planning policy, a Local Plan and population growth at local level, and the need to plan for increased demands for infrastructure and provision, linked to Protect, Enhance and Provide; these are the key elements of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). This will be explained further in the following sections.
Page 8 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
National Planning Policy
NATIONAL PLANNING POLICY FRAMEWORK (NPPF) The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) sets out the requirement of local authorities to establish and provide adequate and proper leisure facilities to meet local needs. Paragraphs 73 and 74 outline the planning policies for the provision and protection of sport and recreation facilities: “Access to high quality open spaces and opportunities for sport and recreation can make an important contribution to the health and well-being of communities. Planning policies should be based on robust and up to date assessments of the needs for open space, sports and recreation facilities and opportunities for new provision. The assessments should identify specific needs and quantitative or qualitative deficits or surpluses of open space, sports and recreational facilities in the local area. Information gained from the assessments should be used to determine what open space, sports and recreational provision is required”. ‘Existing open space, sports and recreational buildings and land, including playing fields, should not be built on unless:
• An assessment has been undertaken which has clearly shown the open space, buildings or land to be surplus to requirements; or • The loss resulting from the proposed development would be replaced by equivalent or better provision in terms of quantity and quality in a suitable location; or • The development is for alternative sports and recreational provision, the needs for which clearly outweigh the loss.”
PROTECTION, ENHANCEMENT AND PROVISION OF FACILITIES The key drivers for the production of the strategy as advocated by Sport England are to protect, enhance and provide sports facilities, as follows3:
• Protect sports from loss as a result of re-development • Enhance existing facilities through improving their quality, accessibility and management • Provide new facilities that are fit for purpose to meet demands for participation now and in the future.
Regional Planning Policy Essex County Council provides a series of strategies and policies for the region, setting out integrated economic, environmental and social objectives for the regions development for years to come. Notably, The Vision for Essex sets out long-term aspirations for the county till 2035. Major aspirations and strategic aims for 2017-2021 can be filtered down to 3 main areas. All these areas are interlinked and closely related, many of which have overlapping underlying aims:
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH: • Support the community by helping to increase their skills and allow them to
3 Further information is provided via Sport England’s Planning Aims and Objectives guidance: https://www.sportengland.org/facilities-planning/planning-for-sport/aims-and-objectives/
Page 9 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
prosper • Enable Essex to attract and grow large firms in high growth industries • Limit cost and drive growth in revenue.
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT: • Help keep vulnerable children safer and enable them to fulfil their potential • Enable more vulnerable adults to live independent of social care • Help to secure stronger, safer and more neighbourly communities • Facilitate growing communities and new homes in local areas.
HEALTH: • Reducing the gap in life expectancy • Promoting independence in the elderly and vulnerable adults • Reduce the need for hospital admissions or formal care services by delivering community-based solutions • Help people live longer, by ensuring targeted health checks and health programmes are available to those most at risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Essex County Council benefits from working alongside and in partnership with many different organisations and plans. Some of these partnerships have shaped the type of council Essex are today and the strategies and plans they implement. Notably:
• Essex County Council supported the South East Local Enterprise Partnership in its submission in 2014 of the Strategic Economic Plan (SEP) to government with the hope of securing a share of the governments Single Local Growth Fund. • The Economic Plan for Essex (EPfE) has provided the county's content for the SEP. The EPfE is continuously revised and refreshed to ensure there is a consistent and relevant pipeline of economic growth projects that will support the delivery of economic growth across the county. • The Essex Co-operation Framework describes the principles that guide the work from The Essex Partnership, a collaboration of representatives of the many organisations that deliver services to the people of Essex. The Essex Sports Facility Strategy, currently in operation for the next 3 years, recognises the need for provision of appropriate quality and quantity of sports facilities in the area in order to increase participation. The aim is to ensure that opportunities for sport are offered through the planned provision, design and management of a full range of facilities to accommodate for the growing population. The Essex County Sports Partnership, Active Essex, are at the heart of the delivery system for community sport and for this strategy. The delivery plan for the Essex Sports Facility Strategy has been used to inform the action plan and recommendations included within the BFS, so that efficiencies can be found in delivery of local actions and interventions.
LONDON STANSTEAD CAMBRIDGE CORRIDOR (LSCC) The District Councils of Broxbourne, East Hertfordshire, Epping Forest, Harlow and Uttlesford form the LSCC Core Area which lies at the heart of the LSCC. This corridor has, over the past decade or more, been the engine of UK growth with its world class industries and businesses.
• The vision for the LSCC going forward will be to build on its key strengths including its skilled workforce in sectors such as health, life sciences and
Page 10 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
pharmaceuticals, advanced engineering and aerospace, its high-quality environment and educational opportunities. Together with London Stansted Airport, the local authorities will deliver sustainable growth which supports the economic ambitions of the LSCC and the UK through complementing and supporting the economic performance of the Corridor whilst maintaining and enhancing the special character of the area, including the locally distinctive historic character of its market towns and rural settlements such as Epping. • Moving forward as a community, this strategic vision will continue to provide many job opportunities, as it currently responsible for 24,700 jobs in the life sciences sector contributing 11% of all national employment, which complements those strategic visions of Essex County Council in ‘supporting the community by helping to increase their skills and allowing them to prosper’.
Local Planning Policy – Epping Forest District’s Local Plan The Local Plan sets out a vision and framework for development in the District for the next 17 years (until 2033). It addresses needs and opportunities across a number of themes, including housing, the economy, infrastructure, transport and sustainability. The Local Plan for Epping Forest District was published for Regulation 19 on the 18th December 2017, with the publication period lasting for six weeks until the end of January 2018. The Plan will be submitted in March 2018 with examination scheduled for Autumn 2018. The current Development Plan consists of a number of documents and pieces of evidence; however, this document is being superseded by the new Local Plan. The Epping Forest District Council Local Plan Submission Version (LPSV) sets out the approach to bringing forward the development of community facilities, and for balancing the delivery of housing and development with the protection, enhancement and delivery of sporting facilities. Through its Local Plan policies and site allocations, the Council aims to ensure that a range of community facilities are provided to meet existing and forecast demand by;
• Ensuring development is supported by appropriate facilities to meet local demand • Ensuring all community facilities are located in places that are or will be accessible by a range of means of transport • Ensuring all new community facilities are inclusive and open and available to all members of the local community • Co-locating facilities and services • Entering into joint venture arrangements where co-funding is considered to be the best and most cost-effective means of delivering services • Encouraging the provision of services by social enterprise and third sector organisations.
Community facilities are defined for the purposes of this policy as education (from pre-school to further and higher education) and training, health, social, leisure, places of worship, community cultural and civic uses (including criminal justice and court facilities) and emergency services. An active and connected community is about ensuring that residents and businesses have the local infrastructure and services that give them greater choice about how they access services. It is important that people have access to community facilities and that they are inclusive and
Page 11 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
accessible to everyone. They should also be well managed and maintained and located in areas that are accessible to all. The Council has a defined spatial strategy to deliver the growth planned up to 2033. The spatial strategy is set out in Policy SP 2 and includes the creation of Garden Town Communities around Harlow and then the application of a sequential approach to where homes will be provided in other settlements. This sequential approach focuses on making the most of sites located on previously developed land and within settlements to avoid as much as possible the release of Green Belt land. The following list sets out the level of housing for the settlements within the District, taken from SP 2 of the LPSV:
• Settlement Allocated Housing Sites around Harlow ~ 3,900 • Epping ~ 1,305 Loughton ~ 1,021 • Waltham Abbey ~ 858 • Ongar ~ 590 • Buckhurst Hill ~ 87 • North Weald Bassett ~ 1,050 • Chigwell ~ 376 • Theydon Bois ~ 57 • Roydon ~ 62 • Nazeing ~ 122 • Thornwood ~ 172 • Coopersale, Fyfield, High Ongar, Lower Sheering, Sheering and Stapleford Abbots ~ 175 • Rural East ~ 41 In addition to Policy SP2, there are a number of policies or sections that are relevant to the outputs of the PPS and BFS. A selection of these are summarised below, with further detail provided in the Local Plan Submission Version.
• Local Plan Objectives: A key objective, as identified in the LPSV, is to provide access to green spaces and leisure, play and sports facilities and to make appropriate provision in new development. • D 4 - Community, Leisure and Cultural Facilities: Proposed developments should contribute to the provision of new or improved community, leisure and cultural facilities in a way that is proportionate to the scale of the proposed development. Strategic and larger developments will be expected to make on- site provision for community, leisure and cultural facilities where feasible. Financial contributions will be sought for the on-going maintenance of community facilities, where appropriate • SP 3 – Place Shaping: Strategic Masterplans and development proposals must reflect and demonstrate that key place shaping principles have been adhered to in respect to the scale of development proposed. A key principle is to deliver strong local cultural, recreational, social and shopping facilities • Strategic Allocations: The Council has acknowledged the importance of delivering infrastructure to support the new Garden Communities included in the Local Plan Submission Version. Policies SP 4 and SP 5 require that the communities have access to sports and leisure facilities, and that these facilities be provided on the strategic sites in Epping Forest District where appropriate • Place Policies: The Places Policies allocate residential, employment and
Page 12 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
traveller sites, and also set out requirements for masterplanning areas and concept framework plans, through which the provision of infrastructure including sports provision will be managed.
Sports and Physical Activity Strategic Context The Council has previously and continues to work with Sport England, as a statutory consultee on planning applications affecting playing fields and built sports facilities. Sport England has been engaged throughout the production of the Council’s updated evidence base on sports facilities in order to avoid potential objections and delays to the LPSV being adopted. This, again, reiterates the Local authority’s aims to provide sufficient sports infrastructure through the LPSV in Epping Forest District. In line with the commitment to provide high quality sport and leisure provision for residents across the Local authority, in March 2017 Epping Forest District Council signed a 20-year leisure contract with Places for People Leisure Management (PfP). As part of this new contract, PfP will manage four local authority owned leisure facilities across the District; Ongar Leisure, Epping Sports Centre, Loughton Leisure Centre and Waltham Abbey Swimming Pool. The contract will also see significant improvements to the delivery of leisure services within the District, with plans to invest £9.5m in a state of the art leisure centre in Waltham Abbey, to replace the existing provision. This contract does not include the maintenance and development of playing pitches, however existing projects such as the Waltham Abbey Swimming Pool replacement is likely to have an impact on the provision of playing pitches, as the proposed site is currently designated as playing fields and used by local football clubs. This particular project is a key driver for the delivery of the Playing Pitch Strategy, as initial plans for the area indicate the potential loss of provision at the Ninefields site, as well as the opportunity to benefit from significant developer contribution. Further detail on this project and the potential impact for sports provision in Epping Forest District is included in the scenario testing section of this report.
Sports and Physical Activity Policy and Strategy Review The following section provides a policy review of all strategic documentation that is relevant to this strategy, including the most recent national strategic documentation for sport and leisure, as well as relevant local government documentation and strategic planning work.
A NEW STRATEGY FOR SPORT – DEPARTMENT FOR CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT The Department for Culture, Media and Sport, following a consultation paper in 2015, launched the new strategy ‘Sporting Future: A new Strategy for an Active Nation’ in 2016. The development of the new strategy reflects a need to re-invigorate the nation’s appetite for participation in sport following what appears to be a significant reduction in participation (highest profile being swimming), following the upsurge after the 2012 London Olympics. The sport strategy is targeting five outcomes which each sports organisation, public or private sector, will be measured against:
• Physical wellbeing • Mental wellbeing • Individual development • Social and community development
Page 13 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
• Economic development. Government funding will go toward organisations which can best demonstrate that they will deliver some or all the five outcomes. The Delivery of the outcomes will be through three broad outputs;
• More people from every background regularly and meaningfully taking part in sport and physical activity, volunteering and experiencing live sport. • A more productive, sustainable and responsible sports sector • Maximising international and domestic sporting success and the impact of major sporting events
SPORT ENGLAND STRATEGY 2016 - ‘TOWARDS AN ACTIVE NATION’ The Vision for this Strategy is: ‘We want everyone in England regardless of age, background or level of ability to feel able to engage in sport and physical activity. Some will be young, fit and talented, but most will not. We need a sport sector that welcomes everyone – meets their needs, treats them as individuals and values them as customers’. The Sport England Strategy ‘Towards an Active Nation’ puts the policies set out in ‘A new Strategy for an Active Nation’ into practice. This will mean significant change for Sport England and for their partners. This strategy sets out Sport England will deliver this task. The key changes Sport England will make are:
• Focusing more money and resources on tackling inactivity because this is where the gains for the individual and for society are greatest • Investing more in children and young people from the age of five to build positive attitudes to sport and activity as the foundations of an active life • Helping those who are active now to carry on, but at lower cost to the public purse over time. Sport England will work with those parts of the sector that serve the core market to help them identify ways in which they can become more sustainable and self-sufficient • Putting customers at the heart of what we do, responding to how they organise their lives and helping the sector to be more welcoming and inclusive, especially of those groups currently under-represented in sport • Helping sport to keep pace with the digital expectations of customers • Working nationally where it makes sense to do so (for example on infrastructure and workforce) but encouraging stronger local collaboration to deliver a more joined-up experience of sport and activity for customers • Working with a wider range of partners, including the private sector, using our expertise as well as our investment to help others align their resources • Working with the sector to encourage innovation and share best practice particularly through applying the principles and practical learning of behaviour change.
EPPING FOREST DISTRICT PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND SPORT PROFILE Adult participation across the District in sport and active recreation has increased from 20.3% in 2011 to 28.4% in 2016. This indicator is the percentage of the adult population participating in sport and active recreation, at moderate intensity, for at least 30 Minutes on at least 12 days out of
Page 14 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
the 4 weeks (Active People Survey, Sport England). The Council, along with Active Essex and Sport England, aim to continue to improve these statistics through:
• Maximising opportunities for sport and physical activity to work with commissioners of health, social care, young people’s service and community safety • Developing a strategic approach for sports facilities and opportunities based on need and evidence • Capitalise on opportunities to work with NGB’s • Provide opportunities for young people through Sportivate, School Games; and working with the HE and FE sectors.
Policy Review The following sections summarise the key policies and strategies that are relevant to this project but do not fall under the previous planning policy review.
EPPING FOREST CORPORATE PLAN 2018-2023 At the time of writing this report Epping Forest District Council are developing an updated Corporate Plan, which is intended to be published in 2018. This updated plan builds on the themes identified within the previous version (2015-2020). The key tenets of the new Corporate Plan are identified below:
• Stronger Communities: promoting healthy lifestyles and independence for the older or disabled community, supporting the population in times of need, enabling communities to achieve their full potential • Stronger Place: delivering key services, provision of planning development priorities, ensuring infrastructure provision and supporting and attracting varied types of business and employment • Stronger Council: aiming for the best customer satisfaction, engagement in local democracy, innovative and flexible workforce, efficient use of resources, buildings and assets.
EPPING FOREST CORPORATE PLAN 2015-2020 The Plan focusses on improving the services that Epping Forest District Council provides for residents, ensuring value for money, high performance and quality services. The council aims to make best use of existing infrastructure to meet the District’s needs for development in the most sustainable locations with the least possible impact on the natural and historical environment. Mainly through protecting the Green Belt, Lee Valley Regional Park and Epping Forest itself, the Council aims to keep the individual character, identity and separateness of the towns and villages, all while still solidifying strong links with London. To ensure the Council remains on target, it is essential to monitor the progress of the aims and objectives. Performance monitoring allows the Council to see problems as they arise and intervene to bring them back on track. Progress is monitored against the Key Action Plan and progress reports are published every three months. The key principles of Epping Forest Council’s approach are:
• To ensure that the Council has appropriate resources, on an ongoing basis, to fund its statutory duties and appropriate discretionary services whilst continuing to keep the Council Tax low. • To ensure that the Council has a sound and approved Local Plan and
Page 15 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
commences its delivery • To ensure that the Council adopts a modern approach to the delivery of its services and that they are efficient, effective and fit for purpose.
EPPING FOREST DISTRICT COUNCIL’S SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY STRATEGY (2010–2031) The Council’s ambition to create a District that is a great place to live, work, study and do business is again reiterated in this document, the main aim lies as follows;
“Making the most of our proximity to the capital while dealing with the challenges this poses to the protection of our green and unique environmental heritage. Building thriving, growing, cohesive and sustainable communities where improving quality of life, aspiration and attainment are achievable for all residents. A place where the different villages, towns and communities that make up our District are cherished and the public services that support them, work together as ONE, committed to excellence and efficiency”.
The Council focuses on seven main areas to analyse and develop plans for. The key issues in these seven areas that are relevant to this strategy are identified as;
• Housing and Development - Pressure for development has always been intense and the demand for more sustainable homes, jobs and leisure has never been greater. Levels of demand have contributed to high house prices pushing them beyond the means of many people on average and low incomes. • Transport - Epping Forest is the only District in Essex to enjoy the benefits of London Underground services, although these are extremely crowded at peak times. Travelling to and from work in London is part of the daily routine for a large number of resident commuters. Despite rail and road links, many people struggle to travel in and around our District. High levels of car ownership lead to congestion which is in the top 25% nationally. • Health and Wellbeing - generally a healthy place to be but there are also profound health inequalities, with parts of the District showing some of the highest life expectancies in Essex, and some among the lowest, including one area in Waltham Abbey recording the second worst outcome on this measure in the county. The District recorded the 3rd highest variation in areas with the highest and lowest life expectancy in Essex.
Population and Demographic Analysis The current and future population profile within Epping Forest District and the locations of population growth are important to understand in planning for the future provision of sport and physical activity.
POPULATION PROJECTIONS Table 2.1 below provides a summary of the key population and demographic trends for Epping Forest District. It should be noted that this data is consistent with that used across the Built Facilities Strategy and Open Spaces Strategy, as well as the wider strategic planning work currently being undertaken by the Council.
Page 16 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Table 2.1: Population and demographics analysis for EFDC Current and Future Data Population Current 132,900 (Office of National Statistics 2014 Sub-national Population population Projections - 2017 estimate) Future 154,500 (Office of National Statistics 2014 Sub-national Population population- 2033 Projections - 2033 estimate) The population growth figures allow for the significant projected population growth in Harlow and the surrounding area. Housing development plans Notes on project 3,900 new households for the Harlow area, all of which fall within the population boundaries of Epping Forest. This significant but focussed growth will have a figures resulting impact on overall population, which has been addressed through the application of the Harlow sub-area (See following sub-area section). The number of residents aged 0-59 is reducing, while the 60+ population is projected to grow Older people will make up an increasing proportion of the population, as the Age profile number of people aged 60 or above significantly increases throughout the next 10 years. This is the only age group forecast to have very significant changes in size. The existing distribution of residents in Epping Forest District shows the highest density of housing in the population centres of Epping, Loughton, Spatial Waltham Abbey and Chigwell, with the majority of the rest of the District Distribution sparsely populated. This will change in the future, with significant population growth forecast in the rural areas near to the boundary with Harlow, as part of the Harlow Garden Town Development Project. Figure 2.1 below provides a graphical representation of these population trends, illustrating the projected change in proportion of population, between 2017 and 2033.
Figure 2.1 – Epping Forest District Population Share by Age Group
Epping Forest Population Age Group Share 2017-2033 8%
7%
6%
5%
4%
3%
Proportion of Popn of Proportion 2%
1%
0%
Age Groups
2017 2033
To provide greater insight into the current and projected population trends across the District, Figure 2.2 to 2.4 below show the overall 2017 population per Lower Super Output Area (LSOA), the 2017 population density and the projected change in population to 2033.
Page 17 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Figure 2.2 – Current Population by Lower Super Output Area (2017)
Figure 2.2 illustrates the total number of residents per super output area, therefore the darker red areas show the highest number of residents. It should be noted that while the more rural areas are typically sparser in terms of population, they are also significantly bigger, therefore they typically have a greater overall volume of residents. The population density map shown as Figure 2.3 below shows this in more clarity.
Page 18 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Figure 2.3 – Population Density by Lower Super Output Area (2017)
As expected, Figure 2.3 indicates that main settlements of Epping, Waltham Abbey and Chigwell have the highest population density, with pockets of relatively high density in smaller settlements, such as Ongar. Figure 2.4 overleaf shows the projected growth spatially across Epping Forest District, over the lifetime of the strategy.
Page 19 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Figure 2.4 – Population Change 2017 – 2033
Figure 2.4 illustrates the expected population change, which is dominated by the projected growth in the areas surrounding Harlow. These growth areas correspond with the large planned housing developments, with approximately 3,900 new dwellings planned with the Epping Forest District boundary. In addition to this, population growth is projected to occur in many of the areas that currently have relatively high population density, such as South Epping, Waltham Abbey and in Ongar and Chigwell.
Page 20 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
THE HARLOW GARDEN TOWN PROJECT As referenced in the previous section, the Garden Town project will see approximately 16,500 new homes built in Harlow and the surrounding area by 2033. Epping Forest District Council are currently working with East Herts Council and Harlow Council to plan this development effectively and efficiently, through to the target completion date of 2033. As part of this, a coordinated approach to sport, recreation and leisure facility provision is required, to ensure that residents have adequate access to high quality facilities. The outputs of the Epping Forest District BFS will therefore be utilised alongside similar studies that are currently being undertaken in Harlow and East Herts Local Authorities, to deliver a comprehensive cross-boundary evidence base, which can be used to inform future need and facility development. At a local authority level, there is a significant housing allocation within Epping Forest District, proposed as part of the Submission Version of the Local Plan, that is helping to meet Harlow’s housing need and that of the wider Harlow Metropolitan Area. There is also projected to be significant growth both inside and outside of Epping Forest District, all of which will influence the requirement for sport and leisure provision over the life time of this strategy.
Figure 2.5: Harlow Garden Town Analysis Area
Page 21 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
It is key that the outputs of this strategy provide clear guidance as to the facility requirements that will be driven by the Harlow Garden Town project. In order to undertake specific modelling for the areas that are likely to be most affected by the development, a sub-area has been created, using existing lower super output area boundaries. This sub-area is shown in Figure 2.5 below and will form the basis of future modelling and scenario testing for built sports facilities. This approach is consistent with that used in the PPS and will therefore provide a holistic needs assessment for facilities required to meet the increased demand.
DEPRIVATION ANALYSIS It is key that any future sporting developments meet the specific needs of their residents and it therefore important to consider deprivation trends for the local authority. Geographical areas with high level of deprivation will typically have lower levels of health, standard or living and car ownership, which all contribute to a lower overall level of participation. Figure 2.5 overleaf shows the levels of deprivation across the local authority, with the most deprived areas being located on the western side of the District. It should be noted that the overall deprivation analysis indicates that there is a low general level of deprivation in the study area.
Figure 2.5: Deprivation Analysis - 2017
Page 22 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
SUB AREAS To aid the delivery of the PPS for Epping Forest District, the local authority has been split into four sub-areas. This allows the supply and demand analysis for each pitch typology to be split into four areas that mirror how residents may typically travel to use playing pitch facilities and the catchment areas of facilities. For instance, a resident is unlikely to travel from the north east of the District to an area such as Chigwell to use playing pitch provision. Instead, they are more likely to travel within each of the sub-areas shown in Figure 2.6 overleaf. This sub-area breakdown (based on lower super output area boundaries) corresponds with the local boundaries used by Epping Forest District Council through planning process and everyday operations. The sub-areas also split each of the key settlements, such as Epping, Chigwell, Ongar and Waltham Forest, as residents are less likely to travel between settlements to access sports facilities. Furthermore, the sub-area analysis allows the PPS to undertake current and future planning for the Harlow development area, as there is a designated sub-area that contains all of the projected housing growth in the Garden Town development area.
Figure 2.6 – Epping Forest District Sub-areas
Page 23 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
SETTLEMENT ANALYSIS In line with the Submission Version of the Local Plan and previous analysis undertaken for site selection and allocation, this strategy will also look to assess the provision of sports and physical activity facilities at a settlement level. As it would not be expected that every settlement within a local authority has its own sport and leisure facilities, only the larger settlements will be specifically identified as part of this analysis. Those that have been selected, due to their population size, have been identified in Figure 2.7 below.
Figure 2.7 – Settlement analysis for Epping Forest District
Page 24 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Physical Activity and Participation
THE VALUE OF PARTICIPATION The value of participation in sport and physical activity is significant, and its contribution to individual and community quality of life should not be under estimated. This is true for both younger and older people; participation in sport and physical activity delivers:
• Opportunities for physical activity, and therefore more ‘active living’ • Health benefits – cardio vascular, stronger bones, mobility • Health improvement • Mental health benefits • Social benefits – socialisation, communication, inter-action, regular contact, stimulation. In addition, participation in sport and physical activity can facilitate the learning of new skills, development of individual and team ability / performance, and provide a ‘disciplined’ environment in which participants can ‘grow’ and develop. The benefits of regular and active participation in sport and physical activity will be important to promote in relation to future sport, leisure and physical activity in Epping Forest District. There is an existing audience in the District, which already recognizes the advantages of participation, and a latent community who are ready to take part. The sport, physical activity and leisure offer in the District can support the delivery of the desired outcomes across a number of District priorities and objectives.
CURRENT PARTICIPATION RATES In terms of the Public Health England definition for physical activity (150 minutes or equivalent of at least moderate intensity activity per week) 21.8% of adults are doing enough physical activity to benefit their health (i.e. exercising three or more times per week), the second highest in the county and above the national average of 17.6%.
Table 2.2: Physically active and inactive adults Rate Epping Forest District Essex England % Active 60.5 % 57.0 % 57.0 % % Inactive 25.3 % 28.3 % 28.7 % Source: Public Health England (based on Active People Survey source data) 2015.
The Sport England Active People Survey (APS), now Active Lives, show us that Essex shows no statistical significant change in participation rates since 2008/09 APS for once a week participation in sport for adults age 16+ years. The figures for Essex are as follows; 36.7% in 2008/09, and 35.7% in 2015/16. There is a slight increase for rates in Epping Forest District, increasing from 37.8% in 2008/09 to 43.0% in 2015/16, however these rates fluctuate throughout the years. Albeit, the participation rates for Epping Forest District have consistently been above the average for the region (37.2% in 2015/16) however the rates for Essex are largely in line with the regional baseline level. This data is shown in Table 2.3 below.
Table 2.3: APS Participation Rates in Epping Forest District, Essex, Regionally (East) and Nationally - Adult (16+) Participation in Sport (at least once a week), by year Epping Forest Year Essex East England District 2008/09 37.8 % 36.7 % 36.5 % 36.5 %
Page 25 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Epping Forest Year Essex East England District 2009/10 36.5 % 35.7 % 35.9 % 36.2 % 2010/11 39.6 % 36.1 % 35.6 % 35.6 % 2011/12 42.5 % 38.7 % 36.9 % 36.9 % 2012/13 41.2 % 36.8 % 35.9 % 36.6 % 2013/14 39.0 % 35.7 % 35.6 % 36.1 % 2014/15 38.4 % 34.8 % 35.6 % 35.8 % 2015/16 43.0 % 35.7 % 36.2 % 36.1 % Source: Active People Survey. Measure: Adult (16+) participation in sport (at least once a week) by year, one session per week (at least 4 sessions of at least moderate intensity for at least 30 minutes in the previous 28 days). Time period(s): 2012/13, 2013/14, 2014/15, 2015/16 Source: Sport England Local Sports Profile January 2017 The percentage of those physically inactive in Epping Forest District is 45.7%, below the national level of 52.5% and also below the regional level of 51.3%. In Epping Forest District, male participation (gender breakdown not shown in table) increases from 41.3% in 2008/09 to 45.3% in 2015/16, whilst in the same time period, female participation also increases from 34.6% in 2008/09 to 40.8% in 2015/16. The number of adults wanting to do more sport in Epping Forest District is 48.1% (2014/15), which is lower than the Essex average (53.9%) and national figures (58%).
ACTIVE LIVES In 2016, Sport England launched the Active Lives monitoring system, to measure sport and physical activity in with the objectives set out by the recent DCMS and Sport England strategies. Although the project is still in its 1st year and therefore providing a consistent and reliable benchmark is difficult, data for the study area identifies that:
• 21.4% of Epping Forest District residents aged 16+ are inactive (2014/15), in line with the national level at 25.6% • 81.6% of Epping Forest District residents aged 16+ took part in sport and physical activity at least twice in the last 28 days, compared to 77.4% in Essex and 77.2% in England. Please note that this measure includes sporting activities, fitness activities and walking for leisure and travel, among others. *Data as of October 2017 Active Lives Report
SPORT ENGLAND KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS Sport England measures 3 key areas in relation to sport and physical activity. Table 2.4 below sets out the performance of Epping Forest District, compared with the Essex region and the rest of England.
Table 2.4: Participation frequency in physical activity – comparison with Sport England KPI’s (all figures are %) EFDC Essex England Indicator 13/14 14/15 15/16 13/14 14/15 15/16 13/14 14/15 15/16 KPI3 – Club 29 30.1 29.9 22.7 22.8 22.8 21.6 21.8 22.2 Membership KPI4 - Received 20 21.4 27.2 16.7 16.6 15.1 16.4 15.6 15.6 tuition or
Page 26 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
coaching in last 12 months KPI5 – Took part in organised 17.9 * 14.9 13.2 14.3 13.9 13.3 13.3 13.3 competition in last 12 months * Data unavailable, question not asked or insufficient sample size Source: Active People Survey. Measure: Key Performance Indicators 3,4,5. Time Period(s): 2012/13, 2013/14, 2014/15, 2015/16 Table 2.4 illustrates that club membership has been consistently higher in Epping Forest District than in the rest of Essex and England. The proportion of residents receiving tuition and those taking part in organised competition is also higher than regional and national averages, which means that participation the formal team sports covered within the scope of this PPS is likely to be consistently high across the local authority
SPORTS ACTIVITY The Active People Survey identifies that gym sessions (14.3%), swimming (9.71%) and cycling (8.76%) are the top sports in which people participate at least once a month in the District. Top sports by local area are based on the assumption that these are aligned to those sports which have the highest participation nationally, so data has only been run for those sports which have the highest participation at national level.
MOSAIC MARKET SEGMENTATION To develop a greater understanding of the Epping Forest District residents, as well as how personal characteristics are likely to influence demand for sports facilities, an analysis of market segments has been undertaken. To do this we have assessed the Mosaic consumer classification tool, which splits the UK population into 15 groups, based on factors such as household income, property tenure and communications channel preferences. This tool is not sport specific; however, it represents an up- to-date and best practice method for understanding consumer preferences, an area that is key if sports and physical activity is to ‘compete’ successfully with other leisure activities. To ensure that this analysis is relevant to sports facility strategies, we have assessed the expected propensity for each group to undertake sport and physical activity, as well as the likely factors that influence each of the groups when deciding how to utilise sports facilities. Using consistent population data with the rest of the study, we have assessed the top 5 dominant segments in Epping Forest District, which account for an estimated 69% of the current population. Table 2.5 below identifies each of these dominant groups, as well as summarising the key characteristics of the group and how they are likely to utilise sports facilities.
Table 2.5: Summary of Market Segmentation for Epping Forest District % EFDC Key Characteristics for Sports Facility Mosaic Group Key Characteristics Residents Provision High value detached homes. Accessibility and availability at peak times Married couples. Managerial (non-working hours) B – Prestige and senior positions. 23% Excellent customer service and personal Positions Supporting students and touch. older children Social facilities integrated with sports Accessibility and availability at peak times (non-working hours) G – Domestic Families with children and 19% Childcare facilities Success upmarket sub-urban homes. Junior-specific facilities with ancillary areas for parents. May be involved in
Page 27 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
% EFDC Key Characteristics for Sports Facility Mosaic Group Key Characteristics Residents Provision informal team sports or through children’s sports clubs. Young households with full Affordable offers with high accessibility. H – Aspiring time employment and High usage during period times. 10% Homeowners affordable housing and living Innovative facilities and ancillary costs provision. Involved in team sports. Rural locations. Well-off Flexible usage of facilities – accessibility C – Country homeowners with high self- 8% to facility at off-peak times. Living employment, high car Unlikely to play team sports (age 66+) ownership and high flexibility Elderly singles and couples. High public transport accessibility with E – Senior Homeowners with low facilities focussed on keeping active and 8% Security technology. Low mileage health. drivers Unlikely to play team sports (age 66+) Table 2.5 illustrates that for the top three dominant mosaic groups, accessibility at peak times is a key requirement for sports facilities as residents are unlikely to be able to use facilities during off- peak periods. Furthermore, with the growth of family-orientated households, demand for team sports and playing pitch provision is likely to increase, with adults also requiring high quality ancillary provision, to improve the overall experience of spectating or coaching. It is key to note the dominance of the Country Living group, which is driven by the large numbers of residents living in rural areas outside of the main settlements of Ongar, Epping, Waltham Abbey, Loughton and Chigwell. To ensure that these residents continue to have access to high quality sports facilities, it is vital that residents are within a ‘reasonable’ drive time of facilities.
INACTIVITY In addition to evaluating physical activity statistics and mosaic groups for Epping Forest District, we have also undertaken an assessment of inactivity across the District, to identify target areas that should be central to the delivery of this strategy. Utilising leisure facility data from across the UK, as well as market segmentation and profiling insight provided by Experian and physical activity research and insight from Sheffield Hallam University, we have profiled the segments of society that are most likely to be inactive, in line with the latest Sport England definition referenced in the Active Lives Survey. This analysis is based on data and insight gathered by 1 million visits per day, generated by the DataHub4 project. Figure 2.7 overleaf shows the output of this analysis, with each segment mapped against the actual demographic breakdown of residents across the local authority. This provides a spatial analysis of the areas of the District that have the highest risk of inactivity. Figure 2.7 illustrates that areas such as Loughton, Chigwell and Epping, which have a relatively low average age and high population density, have a low risk of inactivity. On the other hand, the rural areas north of Ongar and west of Epping towards Roydon and Nazeing currently have a high risk of inactivity, which is driven by the existing population and their propensity to be physically activity. It should be noted that with the projected growth of population associated with the Harlow Garden Town Project, the resident profile of this area is likely to change, with a greater proportion of younger, more physically active residents living in the District in the future.
4 www.datahubclub.com
Page 28 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Figure 2.7 – Risk of Inactivity in Epping Forest District
Page 29 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Strategic Context Summary The box below summarises the key points of the strategic context analysis and the relevance of this analysis to the Playing Pitch Strategy. Key Findings Impact: What does this mean for the PPS? Projected population Demand for sports provision is likely to increase, driven by a greater growth across Epping number of residents. Sports facilities will need to meet the changing needs Forest District of of residents, with a population that is ageing but still has a large number of 21,600 people by families and young people. 2033 (16% growth) 46% of the expected The strategy and subsequent delivery needs to address the signicant growth will be located projected need for the Harlow area, especially given the lack of high in the Harlow sub- quality facilities that currently exist locally. This level of population growth area, through new is likely to generate the need for new facilities, as well as the improvement housing of existing ones. developments. Sports participation Sports included within the Playing Pitch Strategy scope are likely to have across the District is high participation clubs and large, thriving clubs. This will need to be high, especially for maximised as part of the study, allowing clubs to growth further where formal sports and for they are able to and removing barriers such as poor facility access and coaching and tuition quality. The District has a large number of Facilities need to be of a high quality, but also need to be accessible working residents with during periods of peak demand, to meet the needs of residents that work disposal income and during the day but look to be active during weekends and evenings. a propensity to be physically active Rural areas across Areas such as those to the north of Ongar, west of Epping and east of the District have the Chigwell have high risk of inactivity, driven by the mosaic segments of highest risk of existing residents. Residents in these areas require access to high quality, inactivity and poor affordable and attractive facilities to encourage physical activity and health as a result. improve health standards.
Page 30 of 155
EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Sport-specific supply and demand analysis
Page 31 of 155
EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
FOOTBALL ANALYSIS
Introduction This section of the report focusses on the supply and demand for grass football pitches. At the end of this section there is also a summary of the supply and demand findings for third generation (3G) Artificial Grass Pitches (AGP’s) that are becoming increasingly important to service the needs of football for both competitive play and training. This section includes the headline findings from the PPS, as well as a site by site analysis of football sites across Epping Forest District. For further detail on the supply and demand of football in the study area, Technical Appendix A – Football Analysis provides a detailed analysis of supply and demand of football in Epping Forest District, including all the required analysis as defined in the Sport England Playing Pitch Guidance.
Strategic Priorities for the Football Association In August 2015, the Football Association (FA) released their National Game Strategy for Participation and Development (2015 – 2019), which committed the organisation to invest £260 million into grassroots football over the next four years. The strategy has four key priorities;
• Participation – ‘More players playing football more often’. The FA are aiming to boost female youth participation by 11% and retain the current level of male team affiliation • Player Development – ‘Better quality players being developed and entering the talent pathways’. The FA will invest £16m into coach education and development programmes. There will also be 1,000 more top level grassroots coaches developed and on-going investment into the skills coaching programme for 5 – 11-year olds • Better Training and Playing Facilities – The FA has committed £48m to new and improved facilities through the Football Foundation. This includes the roll out of a new sustainable model for grassroots facilities in 30 cities through football hubs owned and operated by local communities. An ambition has also been stated to ensure that half of mini-soccer and youth matches are played on high- quality artificial grass pitches • Football Workforce – ‘Recruiting and developing volunteers and paid staff who service the game’. This will grow the workforce, increase the number of qualified referees and ensure there is an advisory board for every County FA. The national strategy follows the FA’s October 2014 announcements, stating its intentions to deliver 30 football hubs in cities across the country. The FA intends to increase the number of full size, publicly accessibility 3G AGP’s to over 1,000 across England. It also intends to facilitate the delivery of more than 150 new club-owned and managed football hubs to support the delivery of FA, County FA and professional club youth development and coach education programmes. It also aims to ensure that at least 50% of all mini soccer and 9v9 matches are played on good quality 3G AGP’s. A key trend for football across the country is the contraction of adult affiliated clubs and the growth of more casual and informal forms of football, such as 5 and 7-a-side and organised evening 11-a- side, typically played on floodlit 3G pitches. This trend reflects the perceived reduction in free time across the UK and the reticence to commit to weekly football on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. The growth of demand and supply of 3G provision and the changing patterns of demand among grass roots footballers is key and will be addressed as an output of this study.
Page 32 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
In addition to the focus on 3G facilities the FA has emphasised, throughout consultations, the commitment of the organisation to improving grass pitches, with the overall target being to improve 2,000 grass pitches across the UK and reduce the amount of cancellations, especially due to waterlogging. The body that governs football in the study area is the Essex County FA and all of the FA’s community and development objectives are implemented through this local body. It should be noted that a small number of teams in the District also affiliate to the London FA, most of which are located in the south of the District.
Consultation Overview
ESSEX FA CONSULTATION 4 global consulted with Essex County FA to provide an overview of club and facility needs and issues across the District. This section covers the main points raised during the consultation. Football participation in Essex is high across the County, with large amounts of formal and informal football, played by all ages on a variety of surfaces. Epping Forest District in particular is characterised by having a relatively high number of large clubs, especially given the low total population for the District. In line with the recent National Strategy, the provision of 3G AGP’s is a priority for the FA as this improves the quality and sustainability of football facilities across the UK. For grass-based pitches, pitch ownership and maintenance are split between EFDC, local clubs and third parties, with maintenance issues identified across a small number of sites. These views will be validated by the findings of this study and will provide the Councils and the FA with information that can be used to improve natural turf pitches, which is a key performance indicator for the FA in the National Game Strategy 2015-2019. The FA stated that a key priority is to provide facilities that are sustainable for the long-term future of football in the study area. As part of this, Essex County FA are committed to supporting large clubs across the District establish secure home grounds and facilities that will allow them to continue growing and developing across the lifetime of the strategy.
KEY CLUB CONSULTATION Detailed accounts of club consultations are included within Technical Appendix A – Football Analysis, however the below points provide a summary of the key issues identified through consultation with clubs and leagues currently operating within Epping Forest District
• Large junior clubs are thriving, with major recent growth and further growth projected in the future. This is putting an ever-increasing strain on the supply of pitches for both match play and training • There is a shortage of youth 9v9 and youth 11v11 pitch provision across the LA • There is currently export of demand to neighbouring local authorities and this is likely to increase in the future of additional pitch provision cannot be secured • The quality of facilities is generally acceptable, with limited examples of clubs playing on poor pitches and using ancillary facilities that are not fit for purpose • Many large junior clubs are looking for single multi-pitch sites that they can use as home grounds for all of their teams. Most clubs currently use multiple facilities • Clubs are looking for greater security of tenure and understand the risk of housing development across the District
Page 33 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Supply To gather a full understanding of the supply of football pitches in Epping Forest District, the 4 global research team visited all football sites in the area and assessed the facilities using the FA’s guidelines, as shown in Playing Pitch Strategy Appendix 2 - Football Association5. A detailed record of all the supply data can be found in Technical Appendix A – Football Analysis, however this section will summarise the key findings. Where appropriate an Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) qualified pitch assessor also undertook an assessment of key sites to cross check the original scores and ensure the scoring is consistent with the rest of the country. As part of this process, a report was produced, providing a detailed assessment of four sites across the District that currently provide football facilities. This is attached to this report as Technical Appendix J – Grounds & Natural Turf Improvement Programme Assessment Findings. Utilising a combination of 4 global supply data and IOG assessments, Table 3.1 summarises how the grass football pitches in the study area were assessed, in line with Sport England PPS methodology (non-technical assessments).
Table 3.1 – Supply of grass pitches in the study area. Source: 4 global site assessments Adult football Youth football Mini soccer Quality score 11v11 11v11 9v9 7v7 5v5 Good (80-100%) 13 0 3 7 3 Standard (50-79.9%) 25 12 18 20 4 Poor (0-49.9%) 14 2 2 9 0 Table 3.1 shows that most pitches across the District are rated as Standard, with an even spread across Good and Poor. This high quality of pitches is unusual for local authorities with a mix of rural and urban geography and demographic profile, illustrating an excellent overall quality of provision. This analysis has been benchmarked in Table 3.2 below, which compares the split of scoring between the three ratings for Epping Forest District with 3 other Local Authorities that are either within Greater London or just outside, that 4 global has undertaken site assessments for in the past two years. These Local Authorities have been kept anonymised as the associated strategies are still in progress at the time of issue, however they have been selected due to their similarity with Epping Forest District, in terms of urban/rural split and deprivation profile. Table 3.2 indicates that Epping Forest District has a similar spread of Standard and Poor facilities, when analysed alongside 2 of the three comparable local authorities. On the other hand, Epping Forest District has the second lowest proportion of Good pitches and the second highest proportion of Poor pitches. This will be analysed further in the site by site analysis, however provides an illustration of the trend for football facility quality across the District.
Table 3.2 – Assessment benchmarking for similar Local Authorities. Average Pitch Score Pitch Rating LA A LA B LA C Epping Forest District Good 68% 33% 18% 20% Standard 32% 60% 60% 60% Poor 0% 7% 22% 20%
5 Sport England PPS Guidance – Football Appendix (http://goo.gl/em3wyj: 2015)
Page 34 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
To provide a spatial analysis of football provision supply in Epping Forest District, Figure 3.1 below provides an illustration of all football provision by pitch typology, showing the concentration of grass football provision in the main areas of population, such as Epping, Chigwell, Loughton and Waltham Abbey. As expected, provision is more sparsely distributed in the rural areas, with facilities in the East sub-area largely concentrated around Ongar.
Figure 3.1 – Football provision in Epping Forest District. Source: 4g site assessments
Page 35 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
PITCH OWNERSHIP As is common across the UK, a large proportion of sports provision in the study area is owned by the local authority or County Council, with other ownership spread across a number of different organisations. Where Epping Forest District is unusual, is the high proportion of private ownership, largely through individual landholders. In terms of management, a large proportion of sites are managed by education facilities, followed by Town Councils, Sports Clubs and specialist trusts. Table 3.3 below shows the spread of ownership, illustrating the broad spread of management and ownership types across the District
Table 3.3 – Site ownership and management in Epping Forest District. Type of ownership Ownership Management Academy 3 (5%) 3 (5%) Education 1 (1.66%) 24 (40%) Local authority 5 (8.33%) 2 (3.33%) County Council 19 (31.66%) 2 (3.33%) Lord Mayors Office 1 (1.66%) 0 Mixed 2 (3.33%) 0 Parish Council 5 (8.33%) 3 (5%) Private 7 (11.66%) 4 (6.66%) Sports Club 2 (3.33%) 7 (11.66%) Town Council 9 (15%) 7 (11.66%) Trust 5 (8.33%) 6 (10%) Unknown 1 (1.66%) 2 (3.33%)
SECURITY OF TENURE To understand the long-term trends and potential risks for football provision, it is important to understand the ‘security’ that is afforded to community access on football provision across the District. Decisions relation to security of tenure are taken on a case by case basis, using 4 global’s industry experience and through collaboration with the project steering group. As a starting point, one of the following elements typically constitutes a secure site;
• A formal community use agreement • A leasing or management agreement requiring pitches to be available to the community • A formal policy for community use adopted by the owner and or educational establishment • Written confirmation from the owner and/or educational establishment The following points provide a summary of the general security of tenure for football provision across the District;
• 74% of sites are identified as being unsecured, which represents a very high proportion of football provision. The long-term security of football provision across the District is poor as a result. • Of the 24% of sites that are secure, 11 sites (18% of overall sites) are owned by District, town or parish councils, illustrating the key role of local government in the protection, enhancement and provision of future football facilities. Detail of all sites and their security of use is contained within the Technical Appendix A – Football Analysis, as well as in the site by site analysis later in this report chapter.
Page 36 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
EDUCATION SUPPLY Football facilities are provided at educational establishments across the District, with different levels of community use and security of tenure. Where a site has been identified as being available for community use, pitches allocated to the relevant site are included within the total supply and demand analysis. As part of the supply and demand scenario section, the overall supply of football provision across the District will also be tested without education facilities included. This will be done by eliminating those facilities that are ‘unsecured’ for community use, as no education establishment in the District currently has a robust community agreement for use of grass pitches on site. The following education establishments have been identified as being unavailable for community use and are therefore not included in the supply and demand analysis. It should be noted that Chigwell School has been identified as being partially available, with a proportion of pitches on the site being made available for community use. Further detail is provided in the Technical Appendix A – Football Analysis, as well as the site by site analysis.
Table 3.4: Education facilities unavailable for community use
Site Name Sub Area
Ongar Primary School East Coopersale And Theydon Garnon Church of England Primary School East Coopersale Hall School West Debden Park High School South Epping St John's West Epping Upland C of E Primary School West Hereward Primary School South Hillhouse Primary School West King Harold Business and Enterprise Academy West Lambourne Primary School East Loyola Preparatory School South Morton Primary School East Oak View School South Oaklands School South Roydon Primary School Harlow St John Fisher Catholic Primary School South Stapleford Abbots Primary School East The Leverton Junior School West The White Bridge Primary School South Theydon Bois County Primary School East Thomas Willingale School South Upshire Primary Foundation School West
Page 37 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Demand Football is the most popular team participation sport across the District, with a total of 249 teams recorded by the study, as shown in Table 3.6. To illustrate the distribution of football teams across the study area, this data has been broken down into the three sub-areas of East, South and West.
Table 3.6 – Team Profile for football in Epping Forest District Adult Teams Youth Teams Mini Teams Area Boys Girls Mini Soccer Total M F 11v11 9v9 11v11 9v9 7v7 5v5 East Sub-area 7 0 9 5 0 0 9 5 35
South Sub-area 43 1 31 30 4 2 28 26 165
West Sub-area 8 2 12 7 0 0 9 11 49 Epping Forest 58 3 52 42 4 2 46 42 249 District Table 3.6 illustrates the significant amount of demand in Sub Area South, which is dominated by large junior clubs and a small number of major adult clubs. There is far less formal football in the West and East Sub Areas, with a small number of clubs largely located in Waltham Forest and Ongar. Using the above team data and the volume of 57 clubs that were surveyed, the club to team ratio in Epping Forest District is 1:4.4, i.e. each club runs on average 4.4 teams. This compares to a national ratio of 1:3.3 and shows that there are significantly more teams per club compared to national levels. This is likely to increase the demand for large football sites with multiple pitches of different sizes, as well as high quality ancillary provision. Further detail is provided as part of Technical Appendix A – Football Analysis, which contains a detailed account of consultations with major clubs across Epping Forest District.
EDUCATION DEMAND As part of the demand analysis, it is important to understand the impact of school usage on the capacity of football pitches and as to whether school demand has an impact on the supply and demand of pitch provision As part of the consultation phase of the project, all schools were asked whether school (both curriculum or after school usage) leads to pitches either being unavailable or partially available for community use. Table 3.7 identifies the education facilities where school demand has led to pitches being unavailable for community use. It should be noted that a number of additional schools have been identified as being unavailable for community usage however this is due to different reasons, such as a lack of maintenance staff to open the facilities out of school hours.
Table 3.7 – Education facilities not available due to school usage Education Establishment Reason for lack of availability Used for curriculum and extra-curriculum football. 3G is Debden Park High School available but grass pitches are not. King Harold Business and Pitches could not sustain additional demand over and above Enterprise Academy school usage The additional education demand at the two schools identified in table 3.5 have led to both facilities being unavailable for community use, which has been included within the supply and demand analysis for the District. Further detail on how education facilities have been addressed in the capacity analysis is included in the football supply and demand section of this report.
Page 38 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Table 3.8 – Displaced demand for football in Epping Forest District Total Displaced Sub Adult Teams Youth Teams Mini Teams Location of Displaced Reason for Demand Club Demand Area Demand Displacement (Match Mens Ladies 11 V 11 9 V 9 7 V 7 5 V 5 Equivalents)
Woodford School, Redbridge, Lack of available facilities in Buckhurst Hill Y South 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 2 IG87DQ Epping Forest District Rush Green, Romford. RM7 Lack of available facilities in GFA Loughton Y South 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 2 0BJ Epping Forest District Rainham Road, RM13 7LP Lack of available facilities in Nazeing Youth Harlow 1 1 Paringdon Sports Club Epping Forest District Newham Borough Newham and various London Club plays all over North London South 0.5 0.5 Police venues due to scarcity of opposition
Page 39 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Future Demand
DEMAND DRIVEN BY POPULATION GROWTH To calculate the future demand for football in the study area, a Team Generation Rate6 has been calculated using the current number of teams and the current population. This measure allows us to calculate what size of population (for various age groups) will typically cause enough demand for a football team. This Team Generation Rate can then be applied to the population projections for the District to confirm how population growth or reduction will affect the demand for teams in each of the key age groups. Table 3.10 overleaf illustrates that the significant population growth in Epping Forest is projected to lead to an increase in demand for football, with an additional 57 teams required across the District. To break-down this projected increase in demand, TGR calculations have also been undertaken for each of the three sub-areas, all of which are detailed in Technical Appendix A – Football Analysis. Utilising the current demand for football in each of the sub areas and how each of the sub-areas is projected to grow over the lifetime of the strategy, an estimation of how the growth of demand is likely to be allocated across the four sub areas is summarised in the table below.
Table 3.9 – Projected increase in football demand in Epping Forest District by Sub-area Age Group East Harlow South West Total Football Adult Men 11v11 (16-45yrs) 1 3 2 1 7 Football Adult Women 11v11 (16-45yrs) 0 0 0 0 0 Football Youth Boys11v11 (12-15yrs) 2 8 4 3 17 Football Youth Girls 11v11 (12-15yrs) 2 6 3 2 13 Football Youth Boys 9v9 (10-11yrs) 0 0 0 0 1 Football Youth Girls 9v9 (10-11yrs) 0 0 0 0 1 Football Mini Soccer Mixed 7v7 (8-9yrs) 1 4 2 2 10 Football Mini Soccer Mixed 5v5 (6-7yrs) 1 3 2 1 7 7 25 13 10 55 When comparing the findings for the whole study area to national trends, the consistent growth of football population contrasts with the rest of the UK, which is generally seeing a reduction in adult football demand but a growth in youth and mini football demand. It is important to note that the TGR and future growth calculation assumes that clubs, the Councils and the local FA development officers do not improve their marketing or participation schemes over the period and are therefore no more successful than they are now in attracting new players to participate in football in the study area. In reality, it is expected that there will be improved channels of digital communication and improved maintenance technology, as well as higher quality ancillary provision. The output of this will be a higher quality and an improved ability to generate additional demand and convert it into participation.
6 The Team Generation Rate calculation uses the current number of teams and the current population to calculate a proxy measure of the number of total residents per relevant sports team. This measure is therefore applied to the projected population (depending on the length of the strategy) to predict how many additional teams will be required in order to satisfy the demand from the ‘new’ population.
Page 40 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Table 3.10 – Team Generation Rates for Football in Epping Forest District Number of teams Current population in Future population Population Potential Change in Current Sport and Age Groups in age group within age group within the in age group within Change in Age Team Numbers in TGR the area area the area Group Age Group Football Adult Men 11v11 (16-45yrs) 58 23132 25860 399 2728 7 Football Adult Women 11v11 (16-45yrs) 3 24348 26601 8116 2253 0 Football Youth Boys11v11 (12-15yrs) 52 2835 3735 55 900 17 Football Youth Girls 11v11 (12-15yrs) 42 2751 3606 65 855 13 Football Youth Boys 9v9 (10-11yrs) 4 1570 1914 392 345 1 Football Youth Girls 9v9 (10-11yrs) 2 1453 1820 726 367 1 Football Mini Soccer Mixed 7v7 (8-9yrs) 46 1568 1935 34 367 11 Football Mini Soccer Mixed 5v5 (6-7yrs) 42 1531 1825.3 36 294 8 Table 3.10 illustrates the projected growth across each football age group, with a significant proportion of the growth projected to be in the youth boys and girls age group. This is influenced by a combination of significant population growth in these age ranges, along with a high existing level of demand.
DEMAND DRIVEN BY LATENT DEMAND While a large amount of future demand will be driven by population growth, it is also likely that clubs and operators are successful in converting latent demand into actual demand, therefore increasing the number of people playing football. The table below identifies all clubs, grouped by sub-area, that identified latent demand (not currently active), which they are aiming to convert into affiliated football demand within the next 3 - 5 years. This provides an estimation of the number of new teams that will be required in Epping Forest District, in addition to the teams generated by population growth.
Table 3.11: Latent demand for football by sub-area Senior Youth 11v11 Youth 9v9 Mini (Mixed age) Sub-area Men Women Boys Girls Boys Girls Mini 7v7 Mini 5v5 East 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Harlow 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.5 1.5 South 8 2 20 19 0 0 10.5 10.5 West 5 1 12 5 0 0 4.5 4.5 Total 13 3 32 24 0 0 16.5 16.5
Page 41 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Table 3.11 illustrates the significant projected growth that clubs are expecting over the next 3 – 5 years, which represents double the growth that is projected to be influenced by population growth. Following consultation with clubs, this is largely influenced by significant demand for youth and mini football in the District, as well as the presence of a number of well-run junior clubs with high growth ambitions. It is important to note that this projected growth should be treated with an element of caution, as the source of information is club consultations. In some instances, clubs may not have considered the governance and infrastructure requirements, associated with ongoing club growth. As a result, there may be instances where actual growth does not meet the projections identified during consultation. Notwithstanding this, it is important that where clubs have the ambition and structure to increase in size, therefore getting more children and adults physically active, they should be supported. With this in mind future supply and demand analysis for football provision will include the projected growth from latent demand identified in this section.
Supply and Demand Balance This section presents the supply and demand balance findings for grass football pitches (both for current and future scenarios) for the study, split by sub-area. The pitch balance and overplay figures i.e. the relationship between supply and demand, have been calculated using the capacity and pitch quality ratings, with further detail provided in Technical Appendix A – Football Analysis.
OVERPLAY Overplay occurs when a grass football pitch is played on a greater amount than is recommended by the pitch’s carrying capacity. For example, if an adult football pitch is given a quality rating of standard, then it has a recommended maximum usage of 2 match equivalents per week. If, however, this pitch is used for 3 adult football matches per week (equating to 3 match equivalents), the pitch is being used over and above its carrying capacity and is therefore being overplayed by one match equivalent. There are a number of reasons for a pitch being overplayed, such as lack of alternative provision, poor site management, or a discrepancy in pitch rates, making some more affordable than others. It is important that any overplay of pitches is considered as part of the overall supply and demand analysis, therefore Table 3.12 below identifies all sites that have pitches with overplay. Where overplay has been identified as part of this analysis, it is included within the overall supply and demand analysis for football in the District. Sites such as Grange Farm are currently subject to significant overplay, which is influenced by a lack of provision and a significant amount of demand for formal football provision. A full capacity analysis of all sites with football provision is included within Technical Appendix A – Football Analysis.
Page 42 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Table 3.12: Overplay of Football pitches in Epping Forest District (Only sites with overplay included) Balance - Overplay or Spare Capacity (match equivalents) Sub Site Name Total Area Adult Yth 11v11 Yth 9v9 Mini 7v7 Mini 5v5 balance Buckhurst Hill Football Club South 4.5 -4 -0.5 8.5 8 16.5
Bumbles Green Leisure Centre Harlow 0 4 -0.5 -0.5 -1 2
Capershotts West 2 -0.5 0 0 0 1.5
Chigwell School South 1.5 0 -2 2 2 3.5
Debden Park High School South -0.5 2 2 0 0 3.5
Debden Sports Club South 2 -0.5 0 0 0 1.5
Grange Farm South 2 -6 1 -3.5 -1.5 -8
Jubilee Park Pavilion East 2 -1 3 -1 -1 2
Memorial Playing Fields East 0 -1 2.5 0 4 5.5
Metropolitan Police (Chigwell Sports Club) South -0.5 0 1 2.5 -4.5 -1.5
Ninefields Playing Fields West 0 -1 3 3.5 3 8.5
Queens Head Meadow Harlow -0.5 1 0 0 0 0.5
Roding Valley High School South 4 -1 2 0 0 5
Roding Valley Playing Fields North South 7.5 -4 2 3.5 4 13
Stonards Hill Recreation Ground West 8 -1 0 11 -0.5 17.5
Townmead Leisure Park West 2.5 -1.5 -2 -1.5 -1.5 -4
Willingale Road Playing Fields South 0 0 0 0.5 -2 -1.5
Page 43 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
TOTAL DISTRICT SUPPLY AND DEMAND Table 3.13 to 3.17 below show the total capacity analysis for football in each of the four sub-areas. For each table, scenarios have been tested, to show the impact of pitch ownership and security across the sub-area. Overall, there is a small over-supply of pitches across all four sub-areas. Different scenarios have been tested as part of the supply and demand analysis, including the impact of removing facilities from the analysis that are not secured for community use. Table 3.13 provides the supply and demand analysis for all grass football provision in Epping Forest District. The analysis includes 5 scenarios, which are repeated for each of the sub-areas in the following sections. These scenarios include different levels of supply and demand, to test the impact of potential changes over the lifetime of the strategy. For example, scenario 3 and 5 only take into consideration sites that are secured for community use in 2017 and 2033 respectively. In addition to the total supply and demand, Scenario 1 to 3 also include total spare capacity per pitch typology in the peak period, which is explained in the following section. This shows how much oversupply (identified in the Balance row), is actually available in the peak period, quantified in match equivalents. Where there is not spare capacity in the peak period, this is also indicated.
Table 3.13: Overall football supply and demand for Epping Forest District Balance per Pitch Youth Youth Adult Mini 7v7 Mini 5v5 Total Type 11v11 9v9 Scenario 1 - All sites included in supply and demand analysis (2017) Total supply 89.0 24.0 45.0 132.0 30.0 320.0 Total demand 27.5 25.5 19.5 24.0 21.0 117.5 Balance 61.5 -1.5 25.5 108.0 9.0 202.5 Peak period capacity 20.5 None 1.5 10.0 None 32.0 Scenario 2 - Sites that are available to the community (2017) Total supply 81.0 14.0 33.0 76.0 30.0 234.0 Total demand 27.5 25.5 19.5 24.0 21.0 117.5 Balance 53.5 -11.5 13.5 52.0 9.0 116.5 Peak period capacity 18.0 None None None None 18.0 Scenario 3 - Sites that are secured for community use (2017) Total supply 45.0 6.0 24.0 24.0 20.0 119.0 Total demand 27.5 25.5 19.5 24.0 21.0 117.5 Balance 17.5 -19.5 4.5 0.0 -1.0 1.5 Peak period capacity 11.0 None None None None 11.0 Scenario 4 - Future Analysis for all sites available to the community (2033) Total supply 81.0 14.0 33.0 76.0 30.0 234.0 Total demand 42.6 83.1 20.9 42.1 27.9 216.5 Balance 38.4 -69.1 12.1 33.9 2.1 17.5 Scenario 5 - Future analysis for all secured sites (2033) Total supply 45.0 6.0 24.0 24.0 20.0 119.0 Total demand 42.6 83.1 20.9 42.1 27.9 216.5 Balance 2.4 -77.1 3.1 -18.1 -7.9 -97.5 It should be noted that as it is not possible exactly which sites will be subject to increased demand over the lifetime of the strategy, it is not possible to undertake future peak time analysis.
Page 44 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Table 3.13 identifies the following key findings;
• When including all available supply and demand across Epping Forest District, there is spare capacity for grass pitch football provision across the District, for all pitch typologies apart from youth 11v11. This is likely to be caused by youth teams playing on Adult 11v11 pitches rather than youth 11v11 pitches • While there is spare capacity across the week, only a small amount is available in the peak period, with youth 11v11 and mini 5v5 having no spare capacity • When including only sites that have secure community use, there is a small amount of total spare capacity for 2017, which converts to a deficit over the lifetime of the strategy. The deficit for youth 11v11 provision identified above is greater when only secure sites are included within the analysis • The peak period analysis for secured provision shows that the only pitch typology that has spare capacity for secured sites is adult 11v11 • When including all sites that are available to the community, the future analysis illustrates a minimal level of spare capacity on all pitch typologies other than youth 11v11 and mini 5v5. This does not take into consideration any strategic reserve or ‘resting’ of pitches and therefore illustrates that the existing level of supply is required to meet the future demand for adult and junior football • The future analysis for secured sites illustrates that there is projected to be a significant deficit of secured pitch provision over the lifetime of the strategy, with youth 11v11, mini 7v7 and mini 5v5 pitch typologies all having a deficit of provision.
EAST SUB-AREA SUPPLY AND DEMAND Table 3.14: East sub-area supply and demand Balance per Pitch Youth Youth Adult Mini 7v7 Mini 5v5 Total Type 11v11 9v9 Scenario 1 - All sites included in supply and demand analysis Total supply 11.0 0.0 12.0 20.0 4.0 47.0 Total demand 3.0 2.0 2.5 1.0 1.0 9.5 Balance 8.0 -2.0 9.5 19.0 3.0 37.5 Peak period capacity 4.0 None 3.5 5.0 None 12.5 Scenario 2 - Sites that are available to the community Total supply 11.0 0.0 8.0 4.0 4.0 27.0 Total demand 3.0 2.0 2.5 1.0 1.0 9.5 Balance 8.0 -2.0 5.5 3.0 3.0 17.5 Peak period capacity 4.0 None 1.5 None None 5.5 Scenario 3 - Sites that are secured for community use Total supply 10.0 0.0 8.0 0.0 4.0 22.0 Total demand 3.0 2.0 2.5 1.0 1.0 9.5 Balance 7.0 -2.0 5.5 -1.0 3.0 12.5 Peak period capacity 3.5 None 1.5 None None 5.0 Scenario 4 - Future Analysis for all sites available to the community Total supply 11.0 0.0 8.0 4.0 4.0 27.0 Total demand 3.8 5.5 2.7 2.2 1.8 16.0
Page 45 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Balance per Pitch Youth Youth Adult Mini 7v7 Mini 5v5 Total Type 11v11 9v9 Balance 7.2 -5.5 5.3 1.8 2.2 11.0 Scenario 5 - Future analysis for all secured sites Total supply 10.0 0.0 8.0 0.0 4.0 22.0 Total demand 3.8 5.5 2.7 2.2 1.8 16.0 Balance 6.2 -5.5 5.3 -2.2 2.2 6.0 Table 3.14 identifies the following key findings;
• The current and future analyses show that there is spare capacity for grass pitch provision over the lifetime of the strategy, however there is no spare capacity for youth 11v11 and mini 5v5 during periods of peak demand • There is a small deficit of youth 11v11 pitch provision, which is caused by a shortage of suitable youth 11v11 pitch sizing. This is projected to worsen over the lifetime of the strategy • The spare capacity identified for 2033 is minimal. This does not take into consideration any strategic reserve or ‘resting’ of pitches and therefore illustrates that the existing level of supply is required to meet the future demand for adult and junior football • The peak capacity analysis for secured sites shows only a small amount of spare capacity, with no spare capacity for youth 11v11, mini 7v7 and mini 5v5 pitch typologies • The current and future scenarios for secured sites identify a deficit of mini 7v7 and youth 11v11, which is projected to worsen over the lifetime of the strategy, as demand increases.
HARLOW SUB-AREA SUPPLY AND DEMAND Table 3.15: Harlow sub-area supply and demand Balance per Pitch Youth Youth Adult Mini 7v7 Mini 5v5 Total Type 11v11 9v9 Scenario 1 - All sites included in supply and demand analysis Total supply 4.0 5.0 0.0 8.0 0.0 17.0 Total demand 1.0 0.0 0.5 0.5 1.0 3.0 Balance 3.0 5.0 -0.5 7.5 -1.0 14.0 Peak period capacity 1.0 3.0 None 1.5 None 5.5 Scenario 2 - Sites that are available to the community Total supply 4.0 5.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 9.0 Total demand 1.0 0.0 0.5 0.5 1.0 3.0 Balance 3.0 5.0 -0.5 -0.5 -1.0 6.0 Peak period capacity 1.0 3.0 None None None 4.0 Scenario 3 - Sites that are secured for community use Total supply 0.0 4.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 4.0 Total demand 1.0 0.0 0.5 0.5 1.0 3.0 Balance -1.0 4.0 -0.5 -0.5 -1.0 1.0 Peak period capacity None 2.0 None None None 2.0 Scenario 4 - Future Analysis for all sites available to the community
Page 46 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Balance per Pitch Youth Youth Adult Mini 7v7 Mini 5v5 Total Type 11v11 9v9 Total supply 4.0 5.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 9.0 Total demand 4.2 13.5 1.1 5.7 4.9 29.4 Balance -0.2 -8.5 -1.1 -5.7 -4.9 -20.4 Scenario 5 - Future analysis for all secured sites Total supply 0.0 4.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 4.0 Total demand 4.2 13.5 1.1 5.7 4.9 29.4 Balance -4.2 -9.5 -1.1 -5.7 -4.9 -25.4 Table 3.15 identifies the following key findings;
• There is currently enough supply to satisfy demand in the sub-area, however there is a shortage of youth 9v9 and mini 5v5 provision and there is also no spare capacity at periods of peak demand for youth 9v9 and mini 5v5 pitch typologies • When considering only sites that are available for community use, there is a deficit of provision for youth 9v9, mini 7v7 and mini 5v5 • When considering only sites that are available and secured for community use, there is a deficit for adult 11v11, youth 9v9, mini 7v7 and mini 5v5 pitch provision. There is also minimal spare capacity in the peak period (2 match equivalents), which will limit growth if teams continue to play football in the existing peak period • The future supply and demand analysis considers the significant additional demand that is projected to be generated by population growth in the sub-area. This increase in demand is projected to lead to a significant deficit of provision, given the existing supply • This future deficit worsens when only sites that have secured community use are included in the analysis, with a deficit of provision predicted across all pitch typologies.
SOUTH SUB-AREA SUPPLY AND DEMAND Table 3.16: South sub-area supply and demand Balance per Pitch Youth Youth Adult Mini 7v7 Mini 5v5 Total Type 11v11 9v9 Scenario 1 - All sites included in supply and demand analysis Total supply 50.0 10.0 24.0 58.0 20.0 162.0 Total demand 18.5 19.5 13.5 17.5 14.0 83.0 Balance 31.5 -9.5 10.5 40.5 6.0 79.0 Peak period capacity 8.5 None None None None 8.5 Scenario 2 - Sites that are available to the community Total supply 49.0 6.0 18.0 46.0 20.0 139.0 Total demand 18.5 19.5 13.5 17.5 14.0 83.0 Balance 30.5 -13.5 4.5 28.5 6.0 56.0 Peak period capacity 8.0 None None None None 8.0 Scenario 3 - Sites that are secured for community use Total supply 30.0 2.0 15.0 24.0 16.0 87.0
Page 47 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Balance per Pitch Youth Youth Adult Mini 7v7 Mini 5v5 Total Type 11v11 9v9 Total demand 18.5 19.5 13.5 17.5 14.0 83.0 Balance 11.5 -17.5 1.5 6.5 2.0 4.0 Peak period capacity 7.0 None None None None 7.0 Scenario 4 - Future Analysis for all sites available to the community Total supply 49.0 6.0 18.0 46.0 20.0 139.0 Total demand 25.7 46.8 14.3 25.7 21.4 133.9 Balance 23.3 -40.8 3.7 20.3 -1.4 5.1 Scenario 5 - Future analysis for all secured sites Total supply 30.0 2.0 15.0 24.0 16.0 87.0 Total demand 25.7 46.8 14.3 25.7 21.4 133.9 Balance 4.3 -44.8 0.7 -1.7 -5.4 -46.9 Table 3.16 identifies the following key findings;
• The South has the largest amount of supply and demand, of any sub-area. The sub-area accounts for 66% of all football demand in Epping Forest District • The analysis for all sites illustrates spare capacity across all pitch typologies other than youth 11v11. This is influenced by the presence of large high-quality football provision at a number of large, high quality education sites such as Chigwell School. While there is total spare capacity, only one pitch typology (adult 11v11) has spare capacity during the peak period • There is also spare capacity when including only sites that are available to the community (including those that are not secured for community use). This is influenced by sites such as the Metropolitan Sports Ground, which is available but not secured for long term community use • The future analysis shows that there is minimal total spare capacity for grass pitch provision projected across the sub-area. This is largely due to the high quality of provision in the sub-area, with a number of multi-pitch sites being able to support a large amount of football, due to robust maintenance procedures and volunteer effort • The exception for this is youth 11v11 and mini 5v5 pitch provision, which is at a deficit throughout all scenarios. In practice, this means that a number of 12-15 year olds will be playing on adult pitches, rather than the youth 11v11 sized pitch that is recommended • The future analysis for secured sites indicates a significant deficit of provision, illustrating that the sub-area currently relies on non-secured provision to meet the needs of clubs. If this provision is lost over the lifetime of the strategy and no replacement provision is developed, there will be a significant future deficit in the sub-area.
WEST SUB-AREA SUPPLY AND DEMAND Table 3.17: West sub-area supply and demand Balance per Pitch Youth Youth Adult Mini 7v7 Mini 5v5 Total Type 11v11 9v9 Scenario 1 - All sites included in supply and demand analysis Total supply 24.0 9.0 9.0 46.0 6.0 94.0
Page 48 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Balance per Pitch Youth Youth Adult Mini 7v7 Mini 5v5 Total Type 11v11 9v9 Total demand 5.0 4.0 3.0 5.0 5.0 22.0 Balance 19.0 5.0 6.0 41.0 1.0 72.0 Peak period capacity 7.0 1.0 1.0 5.0 None 14.0 Scenario 2 - Sites that are available to the community Total supply 17.0 3.0 7.0 26.0 6.0 59.0 Total demand 5.0 4.0 3.0 5.0 5.0 22.0 Balance 12.0 -1.0 4.0 21.0 1.0 37.0 Peak period capacity 5.0 None None None None 5.0 Scenario 3 - Sites that are secured for community use Total supply 5.0 0.0 1.0 0.0 0.0 6.0 Total demand 5.0 4.0 3.0 5.0 5.0 22.0 Balance 0.0 -4.0 -2.0 -5.0 -5.0 -16.0 Peak period capacity None None None None None None Scenario 4 - Future Analysis for all sites available to the community Total supply 17.0 3.0 7.0 26.0 6.0 59.0 Total demand 9.3 17.8 3.2 9.0 8.5 47.9 Balance 7.7 -14.8 3.8 17.0 -2.5 11.1 Scenario 5 - Future analysis for all secured sites Total supply 5.0 0.0 1.0 0.0 0.0 6.0 Total demand 9.3 17.8 3.2 9.0 8.5 47.9 Balance -4.3 -17.8 -2.2 -9.0 -8.5 -41.9 Table 3.17 identifies the following key findings;
• There is a relatively small amount of supply and demand that currently exists in the West sub-area (the sub-area accounts for 20% of all football demand in Epping Forest District) • The sub-area is, however, home to key football clubs and strategic facilities for football • The analysis for all sites illustrates a significant amount of spare capacity. This is influenced by the large amount of provision on education sites • Conversely, scenario 3 illustrates that there is a deficit of provision that is secured for community use. This deficit is highest for mini 7v7 provision, as the majority of these pitches are currently located at education sites that are not secured for community use • A key outcome of the supply analysis is that there is no spare capacity across any pitch typology during the peak period, when only secured sites are included • The future analysis shows that this deficit is projected to worsen for secured sites, as demand for football increases across the District. Given the high projected growth in young people across the lifetime of the strategy, deficit across Youth 11v11, Mini 7v7 and Mini 5v5 pitch typologies are projected to be the most significant.
Page 49 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Peak Time Analysis In line with the 2013 Sport England PPS guidance, this study has considered the total supply and demand for facilities, measured in match equivalents per week. While this is a valuable measure of whether or not pitches are at capacity, underplayed or overplayed, the patterns of demand should also be considered when assessing whether there are sufficient facilities across the District. With this in mind, this section undertakes a peak time capacity analysis, to assess whether there are sufficient facilities during the periods that the greatest proportion of the population like to play football. This will indicate whether there are enough pitches to satisfy the demand where a large amount of football is played at the same time (e.g. are there enough Adult 11v11 pitches so that all adult’s teams can to play on Saturday afternoons?) The following assumptions on peak times have been developed using data collected during the demand consultations with clubs and the Whole Game System FA report.
• Adult peak demand is assumed to be Saturday PM • Youth 11v11 peak demand is assumed to be Sunday PM • Youth 9v9 peak demand is assumed to be Sunday PM • Mini Soccer 7v7 peak demand is assumed to be Sunday AM • Mini Soccer 5v5 peak demand is assumed to be Sunday AM A full methodology for calculating peak time capacity can be found in Appendix A Table 3.18 provides an analysis of all sites across the District where formal football demand has been identified. For all relevant sites, it has been identified whether there is spare capacity during the peak period (highlighted green). It should be noted that where sites are at an overall deficit of capacity (highlighted red), it is assumed that there is not spare capacity during the peak period. It has also been assumed that all sites that are currently available for community use but have no formal demand identified, there will be spare capacity at the peak period. Conversely, all sites that are not available for community use are assumed to have no spare capacity at the period of peak demand.
Page 50 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Table 3.18: Spare Peak Time Capacity for Football Sub Community Availability in the Peak Period (Available sites by pitch typology) Site Name Area use on site Adult Yth 11v11 Yth 9v9 Mini 7v7 Mini 5v5 Abbess Roding 1 match equivalents East Available No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision Playing Field spare capacity 0.5 match equivalents Abridge Village Hall East Available No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision spare capacity Brook Road Play 1 match equivalents West Available No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision Area spare capacity Buckhurst Hill 1.5 match equivalents South Available No pitch provision No spare capacity No spare capacity No spare capacity Football Club spare capacity Bumbles Green 2 match equivalents Harlow Available No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision Leisure Centre spare capacity 1 match equivalents Buxton Playing Field East Available No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision spare capacity Capershotts West Not available No spare capacity No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision Chigwell Primary 1 match equivalents 2 match equivalents South Available No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision School spare capacity spare capacity 0.5 match equivalents Chigwell School South Available No spare capacity No spare capacity No spare capacity No spare capacity spare capacity Ongar Primary East Not available No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision No spare capacity No pitch provision School Coopersale And Theydon Garnon East Not available No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision No spare capacity No pitch provision Church of England Primary School Coopersale Hall West Not available No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision No spare capacity No pitch provision School Debden Park High South Not available No pitch provision No spare capacity No spare capacity No pitch provision No pitch provision School Debden Sports Club South Available No spare capacity No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision Epping Primary 1 match equivalents West Available No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision School spare capacity Epping St John's West Not available No pitch provision No spare capacity No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision Epping Upland C of E West Not available No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision No spare capacity No pitch provision Primary School Epping Upper West Available No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision Clapton RFC Frampton Road 0.5 match equivalents West Available No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision Recreation Ground spare capacity
Page 51 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Fyfield Business and East Available No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision Research Park Fyfield Sports and 2 match equivalents East Available No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision Social Club spare capacity GFA Loughton Fc South Not available No spare capacity No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision Grange Farm South Available No spare capacity No pitch provision No spare capacity No pitch provision No pitch provision Guru Gobind Singh 1 match equivalents 1 match equivalents South Available No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision Khalsa College spare capacity spare capacity Hereward Primary South Not available No pitch provision No pitch provision No spare capacity No pitch provision No pitch provision School Hillhouse Primary West Not available No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision No spare capacity No pitch provision School Ivy Chimneys Primary 1 match equivalents West Available No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision School spare capacity 1 match equivalents Jubilee Park Pavilion East Available No spare capacity No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision spare capacity King Harold Business and Enterprise West Not available No spare capacity No pitch provision No spare capacity No pitch provision No pitch provision Academy Lambourne Primary East Not available No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision No spare capacity No pitch provision School Larsens Recreation 1 match equivalents West Available No spare capacity No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision Ground spare capacity Lodge Lane Playing 2 match equivalents West Available No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision Field spare capacity Loughton Football 1 match equivalents South Available No spare capacity No spare capacity No spare capacity No pitch provision Club spare capacity Loughton Sports South Not available No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision No spare capacity No pitch provision Academy Loyola Preparatory South Not available No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision School Memorial Playing 0.5 match equivalents 1 match equivalents East Available No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision Fields spare capacity spare capacity Metropolitan Police 1 match equivalents (Chigwell Sports South Available No spare capacity No pitch provision No spare capacity No pitch provision spare capacity Club) Morton Primary East Not available No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision No spare capacity No pitch provision School Ninefields Playing West Available No pitch provision No pitch provision No spare capacity No spare capacity No spare capacity Fields Oak View School South Not available No pitch provision No spare capacity No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision
Page 52 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Oaklands School South Not available No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision Old Chigwellians Club South Available No spare capacity No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision 0.5 match equivalents Ongar Academy East Available No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision spare capacity Queens Head 1 match equivalents Harlow Available No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision Meadow spare capacity Rayley Lane East Available No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision Roding Valley High 2 match equivalents 1 match equivalents South Available No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision School spare capacity spare capacity Roding Valley Playing 2.5 match equivalents 0.5 match equivalents 1 match equivalents South Available No pitch provision No spare capacity Fields North spare capacity spare capacity spare capacity Roydon Playing 1.5 match equivalents Harlow Available No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision Fields spare capacity Roydon Primary Harlow Not available No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision No spare capacity No pitch provision School St John Fisher Catholic Primary South Not available No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision No spare capacity No pitch provision School Stapleford Abbots East Not available No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision No spare capacity No pitch provision Primary School Stonards Hill 2 match equivalents 1 match equivalents West Available No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision Recreation Ground spare capacity spare capacity The Leverton Junior West Not available No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision No spare capacity No pitch provision School The White Bridge South Not available No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision No spare capacity No pitch provision Primary School Theydon Bois County East Not available No pitch provision No pitch provision No spare capacity No pitch provision No pitch provision Primary School Thomas Willingale South Not available No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision No spare capacity No pitch provision School 1 match equivalents Thornwood Common West Available No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision spare capacity Townmead Leisure 0.5 match equivalents West Available No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision Park spare capacity Upshire Primary West Not available No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision No spare capacity No pitch provision Foundation School Waltham Holy Cross 1 match equivalents West Available No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision County Junior School spare capacity Willingale Road South Available No pitch provision No pitch provision No pitch provision No spare capacity No pitch provision Playing Fields
Page 53 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Table 3.18 illustrates the majority of grass provision does not have any spare capacity at the peak period. This is as expected for a District with a high level of football demand, especially in the youth and mini age groups.
Artificial Grass Pitches (AGP’s) for Football There are three surface types that fall into the category of Artificial Grass Pitches (AGP); rubber crumb (3G), sand-based (filled or dressed) and water based. The FA considers high quality 3G pitches as essential in promoting coach and player development across all age groups. These pitches can support intensive use and as such are valuable assets for both playing and training. Primarily, such facilities have been installed for community use and training however they are increasingly used for competition, which the FA wholly supports providing the pitch has been appropriately tested and is on the FA 3G pitch register. The FA’s long-term ambition is to provide every affiliated team in England with the opportunity to train once a week on a floodlit 3G surface together with priority access for Charter Standard Community Clubs through a partnership agreement. The FA has adopted the use of 3G pitches across all its competitions and incorporated this into the standard code of rules. This decision was taken due to the significant advances that have been made to the development of 3G Football Turf (FT) and the adoption of these surfaces by professional leagues throughout Europe and by both UEFA and FIFA for major competitions. Competitive affiliated football can take place on 3G surfaces that have been tested to FA standards and is on the FA 3G Football Turf Pitch Register. All football training can take place on sand and water-based surfaces but a 3G surface is preferred.
QUANTITY AND QUALITY AND CAPACITY OVERVIEW Table 3.19 overleaf provides a list of all sand-based and 3G AGP’s in Epping Forest District, identified as part of the audit. For each of the AGP’s across the District, the supply and demand has been summarised, with identification of spare capacity in the peak period where relevant. Detailed audit data for each facility, as well as whether they are included on the FA register, are included in Technical Appendix A – Football Analysis The study area currently has three full sized 3G AGP’s, all of which are available for community use and used heavily through periods of peak demand (weekday evenings and weekends). All facilities are floodlit and secured for community use, therefore can be used by the community at peak times throughout the winter. In addition to the full-size pitches, there are several small sided 3G pitches, that are used for training and junior matchplay. The additional capacity that is provided by these facilities will be addressed in the following supply and demand balance section. Table 3.19 illustrates that the only full sized 3G AGP with spare capacity is Epping St Johns. Consultation has also indicated that demand for peak time bookings at Townmead and in the South sub-area exceeds supply, with Buckhurst Hill Youth FC, Colebrook Royals and GFA Loughton all identifying a shortage of 3G facilities.
Page 54 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Table 3.19 –AGP provision and capacity in Epping Forest District (all figures in hours) Community Total peak time Match Training Spare Site name Notes use category capacity demand demand capacity Coopersale Hall Not available 0 0 0 0 School Debden Park High Re-surfaced during PPS project and now suitable for Available 40 0 40 0 School* competitive football Epping Upper Clapton The site does not have full time management staff and Available 12 0 10 2 RFC therefore cannot be open at all peak times Epping St. John’s Available 40 0 9 31 Fyfield Business and Facility currently in development – capacity to be confirmed In development 0 0 0 0 Research Park when site is operational Loyola Preparatory Not available 0 0 0 0 School Oaklands School Not available 0 0 0 0 Chigwell School Not available 0 0 0 0 Chigwell School Available 20 0 9 11 Sand-based facility so suitable for training only Available 40 0 4 Available 40 0 4 All demand imported from Langley Colts FC, Newhall Rangers Rayley Lane FC and Parsloe Athletic FC, all from Harlow Local authority. Available 40 0 4 n/a (Shooters Football) The site is a commercial small sided facility and therefore Available 40 0 4 spare capacity varies depending on seasonal factors. Available 40 0 4 Roding Valley High This facility has been resurfaced during delivery of the PPS Available 36 0 0 36 School* and therefore accurate demand data is not available Greater demand than available in peak period, with teams Townmead Leisure Available 40 5 53.5 0 playing outside of peak period as well as during peak period. Park Includes 11 hours of demand imported from Harlow
Page 55 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
SUPPLY AND DEMAND MODELLING – FULL SIZE 3G AGP PROVISION While Table 3.18 provides a capacity analysis for all AGP sites across the District, further analysis is required to identify whether there are sufficient facilities to meet the demand, based on national parameters and calculations. As part of the FA National Game Strategy, the Football Association has identified a strategic objective to ensure that all teams playing competitive football have access to a floodlit 3G AGP to train on at least once a week. To do this, FA calculations show that a full size 3G AGP (available for community use at peak times) is required for every 42 teams, which will allow the required training and match play slots, as well as providing suitable supply at peak times (weekday evenings and weekends). Using the demand data for the District, 249 teams have been identified as playing within the Epping Forest District. Using the FA’s suggested ratio of 1:42, this demonstrates the need for 5.9 full sized 3G AGP’s, which it is suggested should be rounded up to 6 to allow for a small comfort factor. Supply and demand data for the project identifies three existing full sized 3G AGP facilities within the study area that are available and secured for community use. There is therefore a current deficit of three full sized 3G AGP facilities.
AGP SUPPLY AND DEMAND MODELLING – INCORPORATING SMALL SIDED AGP PROVISION While it is understood that the preferable facility type is full sized 3G AGP, given the flexibility that this provides clubs and operators, it is also important to understand the impact that small sided provision has on the overall supply and demand balance for football AGP’s in the District. To calculate the capacity of small sided provision, an assumption has been made as to how many teams each of the pitch typologies would be able to sustain, based on a starting of point of 42 teams for a full size AGP. Table 3.20 details this analysis, showing how the number of teams has been calculated using the proportion of each age group within the total football demand.
Table 3.20: Capacity Analysis for AGP’s per pitch typology
Proportion of No. of team’s Facilities Capacity (no. of Pitch Size teams that can facility can within teams serviced Typology use facility service LA by 3G)
11v11 (Including 100x60m 100% 42 3 126 adult and or larger youth) 80x50m or 9v9 53% 22 1 22 larger 60x40m or 7v7 35% 15 1 15 larger 40x30 or 5v5 17% 7 1 7 larger Table 3.20 illustrates that when only full sized 3G AGP provision is included, 126 teams across the District are serviced by 3G provision, which correlates with the deficit of three pitches identified in the previous section. If, however, the additional 3G small sided provision at Roding Valley High School and Epping Upper Clapton RFC are included, an additional 35 teams are serviced by 3G provision, resulting in a total of 161 teams being serviced by 3G provision. Including small sided provision the total deficit of 3 full sized 3G AGP’s based on the ratio of 1 full size 3G AGP pitch
Page 56 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
to every 42 teams. It is noted that this is the same figure as calculated only for full sized pitches, however this is due to rounding and the limited effect that small sided facilities have on overall capacity.
AGP SUPPLY AND DEMAND MODELLING – SUB-AREA ANALYSIS This section provides a summary of the current supply and demand for AGP’s broken down by sub-area. Table 3.21 shows the supply and demand analysis, split by sub-area, to show where further investment is required on a spatial basis.
Table 3.21: Current Capacity Analysis for AGP’s by sub-area Sub- Current Demand 3G Facilities available to the New AGP provision area (Teams) Community required 1 Full-sized 3G AGP or East 34 None equivalent Harlow 6 None None Debden Park High School 2 Full-sized 3G AGP or South 164 Roding Valley High School equivalent Townmead, Epping Upper Clapton West 45 None RFC, Epping St John's 3 Full-sized 3G AGP All 249 or equivalent Table 3.21 illustrates that with the current level of 3G AGP provision across the study area, the South and East sub-areas require new 3G AGP provision to meet the existing needs of residents, while the Harlow and West sub-areas do not require provision, either due to existing provision or lack of demand. It should be noted that given the relatively small nature of the study area, it may be advised to meet the overall District need by developing facilities in sub-area that already have adequate provision, especially if there is a shortage of available sites for development.
AGP FUTURE SUPPLY AND DEMAND BALANCE To understand the projected level of demand for 3G AGP’s in Epping Forest District across the lifetime of the project, the same ratio of 1:42 has been used, as well as the additional 162 teams identified in the TGR and latent demand calculations. As per the analysis of the current picture for AGP provision, relevant and available small sided 3G AGP provision has also been included in the future scenario, to provide a more realistic view of supply and demand. Using these updated parameters, it is projected that 9.7 full sized 3G AGP’s will be required to be accessible to the community by 2033 in Epping Forest District which it is recommended should be rounded to 10 to allow for a small comfort factor. Assuming that the existing level of supply (both full size and small sided) stays consistent, this will lead to a deficit of 6 full sized pitches over the lifetime of the strategy, based on the requirement to provide AGP provision for an additional 162 teams. Table 3.33 below breaks down this supply and demand by sub-area, which will feed into the site-specific recommendations and actions.
Table 3.22: Future Capacity Analysis for AGP’s by sub-area Sub-area Total Future Demand (Teams) New AGP provision required East 41 1 Full-sized 3G AGP or equivalent Harlow 34 1 Full-sized 3G AGP or equivalent South 247 4 Full-sized 3G AGP or equivalent West 87 None All 409 6 Full-sized 3G AGP or equivalent
Page 57 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
While the above analysis provides a quantified assessment of supply and demand, it is important to consider accessibility and spatial constraints when making recommendations regarding new AGP provision. Figure 3.2 below shows the catchment area analysis for 3G AGP’s in Epping Forest District, which can be used to assess the accessibility of full-size 3G AGP facilities across the District.
Figure 3.2 – 3G AGP Catchment area analysis for Epping Forest District
Figure 3.2 shows the 20-minute (non-overlapping) catchment areas for the three 3G AGP’s in Epping Forest District. This illustrates that the majority of residents in the District sit within a 20- minute drive time catchment of one of the three 3G AGP’s, with only a small area in the east of the District sitting within the catchment area of a facility outside of the District (identified by grey hashed shading).
Page 58 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
It should be noted that there is an area in the east sub-area, around Sheering and Matching, that has poor accessibility to full sized 3G AGP’s, as they do not sit within a 20-minute drive time of an appropriate facility. While this analysis appears to illustrate that accessibility is good across the District, the large purple and brown areas represents the catchment area of Epping St Johns School and Debden Park High School. While this has been identified as being available to the community, facilities on educational sites typically represent a risk, especially where they do not have long-term community use agreements for their facilities.
MEETING THE CURRENT AND FUTURE DEMAND FOR 3G AGP FACILITIES ACROSS EPPING FOREST DISTRICT To meet the shortfall for both current and future 3G AGP supply and demand, the likely solution will be a combination of new build and resurfacing sand-based pitches. A key consideration when identifying potential development sites is meeting the current and future demands for Hockey and identifying sites that are genuinely surplus to hockey requirement. A key objective for the FA is to maximise the use of 3G pitches for competitive football match play. This will increase the quality of provision, reduce the number of cancellations and help to address future demand. Affordable pricing policy that includes match-based charges in line with grass pitches should be a consideration. When selecting the sites that are appropriate for 3G AGP development, sites should have the following characteristics;
• Be available for significant use by local community clubs • Have good access and ancillary facilities to service the pitch(es) • Be financially sustainable • Be able to be maximised for training and match play provision during peak time • Be well positioned to deliver wider football development programmes, including coach education and a recreational football offer, using spare off-peak capacity to deliver this • Be able to explore shared projects with the Rugby Football Union (RFU) and school sites where infrastructure and vision align. In terms of location, the Stage B analysis identified a high volume of affiliated formal football demand in the South sub-area, which does not currently have access for a full size 3G AGP facility. It is therefore important to increase the provision of 3G AGP facilities in the Southern sub- area, aiming 5 full sized 3G AGP facilities, based on the current allocation of demand across the District.
3G AGP SCENARIO TESTING To meet the strategic priorities of the FA and Football Foundation relating to the increase proportion of affiliated being played on 3G AGPs, the scenario testing section of this study contains a detailed scenario to identify the potential impact of moving all youth 9v9 and mini 5v5 matchplay from grass pitches to high quality 3G AGP’s. This strategy aligns with the priorities of the national FA and Sport England Parklife project, and looks to provide younger players with high quality matchplay facilities, while continuing to use grass facilities for adult and youth 11v11 football.
Page 59 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Site by Site Analysis - Protection, Enhancement and Provision To ensure that the Playing Pitch Strategy meets the requirements of the Epping Forest District Council LPSV and can be seen as a robust evidence base, the site-by-site assessment below includes all football sites that have been included within the study. The site-by-site assessment provides a justification of how each of these sites should be protected, enhanced or further provided for, in line with the National Planning Policy Framework paragraph 73 and 747. Additionally, this table serves to summarise the key parts of the PPS assessment that have been identified so far within this sport specific section. To confirm the sites that have spare capacity or a deficit, the site-by-site analysis in this section will provide a total balance per site to illustrate the sites that need investment either to improve the quality of pitches (and therefore carrying capacity), as well as the sites that need a greater number of grass pitches in order to satisfy demand. This will be shown in the ‘capacity for community use’ column. It should be noted that where supply equals demand (a balance of +0) the colour coding of the site is taken from the capacity at the peak period. Any spare capacity during the peak period is also identified for each pitch typology, to show the actual extent of any spare capacity. .
7 Further information on NPPF provided in Section 2 – Strategic Context
Page 60 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Table 3.23 – Site by site summary for football provision Sub Community Security of Community Capacity in the Justification for Protection (PR), Enhancement (E) or Site Name Pitch Supply Owners Area use on site Use use capacity Peak Period Provision (PV) This is a small, standard quality site with a single mini 7v7 pitch. 1 match The site has not been identified as hosting any formal affiliated equivalent of football and therefore has been identified as a site that could spare capacity PR address issues with a shortage of provision in the local area. If the Abbess, for mini 7v7 in 4 match site is not required to offset nearby deficit, it could be re- Beauchamp the peak Abbess Roding equivalents designated as open space or for alternative sporting provision. East 1 x mini 7v7 Available Unsecured and Berners period. Playing Field total spare No further enhancement has been identified as being required as Roding Parish No spare capacity part of this study, although if the site is to be used for formal Council capacity in the E football use, the ancillary on the site will require refurbishment or peak period for replacement. any other pitch No further provision has been identified as being required as part typology PV of this study. 0.5 match This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. It is a equivalent of PR local village site that is used as a home ground by Abridge Village spare capacity FC. for adult 11v11 0.5 match in the peak The site has been identified as having poor pitch quality and a Abridge Village Abridge Parish equivalents East 1 x adult 11v11 Available Secured period. poor ancillary facility. Further maintenance investment is required Hall Council total spare E No spare to improve the quality of the grass pitch and the ancillary provision capacity capacity in the is in need of refurbishment. peak period for No further provision has been identified as being required as part any other pitch PV typology of this study. 1 match This is a small, standard quality site with a single youth 11v11. The equivalent of site has not been identified as hosting any formal affiliated football spare capacity and therefore has been identified as a site that could address PR for youth 11v11 issues with a shortage of provision in the local area. If the site is 2 match in the peak not required to offset nearby deficit, it could be re-designated as Brook Road Play Epping Town West 1 x youth 11v11 Available Unsecured equivalents period. open space or for alternative sporting provision. Area Council spare capacity No spare No further enhancement has been identified as being required as E capacity in the part of this study. peak period for No further provision has been identified as being required as part any other pitch PV of this study. typology This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. It is a 1.5 match high quality multi-pitch site that is the home ground of Buckhurst PR equivalent of Hill FC. The site is mainly a volunteer run football club however it Mixed (club spare capacity is maintained and operated to a high level. owns main for adult 11v11 The football club are in the process of developing a large are of 1 x adult 11v11 parcel of land, 16.5 match in the peak land to the west of the club's main facility. This will involve the Buckhurst Hill 1 x youth 9v9 South Available Secured separate equivalents period. development of 4 additional pitches, one to the east and three on Football Club 2 x mini 7v7 sports club spare capacity No spare the southern part of the land. If this development is to take place, a 2 x mini 5v5 owns north capacity in the E significant increase in the quantity of maintenance effort will be portion of field) peak period for required from the volunteer workforce. The club has recently been any other pitch granted planning permission from the local authority and support typology should be sought from the FA and Football Foundation to provide additional expertise and equipment where required.
Page 61 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
As above, although the current site has theoretical capacity for greater demand across the week, there is no spare capacity at the PV peak period of demand and therefore further provision is required to meet the growing needs of the club. 2 match This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. It is a equivalent of PR standard quality site that is used as a home ground by Nazeing spare capacity Youth FC. for youth 11v11 This is a standard quality site that is maintained by a combination 2 match in the peak of the Parish Council and the Nazeing Youth FC. The current Bumbles Green Nazeing E Harlow 2 x youth 11v11 Available Secured equivalents period. youth team manager marks out the pitches according to demand Leisure Centre Parish Council spare capacity No spare and therefore this meets the needs for formal football. capacity in the The current ancillary facility (changing rooms/clubhouse) is peak period for PV disused and not fit for purpose. Replacement of the facility is any other pitch required to meet the needs of local football and sports clubs. typology 1 match This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. It is a equivalent of standard quality football facility that is owned and managed by a spare capacity local trust. No formal football has been identified as being played PR for adult 11v11 at the site, therefore there is an opportunity for the site to support 2 match in the peak the wider demand for football, especially at periods of peak Buxton Playing East 1 x adult 11v11 Available Secured Trust equivalents period. demand. Field spare capacity No spare No further enhancement has been identified as being required as E capacity in the part of this study. peak period for No further provision has been identified as being required as part any other pitch PV of this study. typology This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. It is a PR high quality single pitch site that is used for a home ground by Waltham Abbey Adults 1st, 2nd and U18 teams. The ancillary facility at the site is dated and has no disabled access or disabled toilet provision. The facility requires refurbishment to meet the needs of the football club and local residents. The site has been identified as being unsecured for E long-term security use, therefore collaboration is required between EFDC and Waltham Abbey FC to agree a formal long-term usage 1.5 match No spare agreement, which will allow the club to bid for funding and facility Capershotts West 1 x adult 11v11 Available Unsecured Local authority equivalents capacity in the improvement grants. spare capacity peak period This site represents an opportunity for development as a 3G AGP facility, in place of the existing grass 1st team pitch. Further feasibility work is required to understand whether the existing management structure and volunteer infrastructure is sufficient to PV operate a 3G facility. In addition, the West sub-area is currently well served with AGP provision and there are further opportunities to invest in nearby Townmead Leisure Park. Any investment decision should consider the overall supply and demand for AGP football provision in the sub-area. 1 match This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. It is a Local authority 15 match Chigwell Primary 1 x adult 11v11 equivalent of high quality multi-pitch site located at an education facility. The site South Available Secured (Essex County equivalents PR School 2 x mini 7v7 spare capacity is used for curriculum and after school football however no formal Council) spare capacity for adult 11v11 affiliated football demand has been identified.
Page 62 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
in the peak No further enhancement has been identified as being required as E period. part of this study. 2 match equivalents of spare capacity for mini 7v7 in the peak period No further provision has been identified as being required as part PV No spare of this study. capacity in the peak period for any other pitch typology 5 x adult 11v11 0.5 match This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. It is a 2 x youth 11v11 equivalent of 3.5 match high quality multi-pitch site located at an education facility. The site 3 x youth 9v9 spare capacity PR equivalents is used for curriculum and after school football however no formal 2 x mini 7v7 for adult 11v11 spare capacity affiliated football demand has been identified. 2 x mini 5v5 in the peak Available Chigwell (site only Chigwell School South 1 x small sided Unsecured period. (partial) School partially No further enhancement has been identified as being required as sand-based No spare E available for part of this study. AGP capacity in the community 1 x full sized peak period for No further provision has been identified as being required as part use) PV sand-based any other pitch of this study. AGP typology This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. It is a Not available single pitch site that is used for curriculum and after school use. PR for community The site is not available for community use and is not used for No spare Ongar Primary use formal affiliated football. East 1 x mini 7v7 Not available Unsecured Local authority capacity in the School 2 match No further enhancement has been identified as being required as peak period E equivalents part of this study. spare capacity No further provision has been identified as being required as part PV of this study. This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. It is a Not available single pitch site that is used for curriculum and after school use. Coopersale And PR for community The site is not available for community use and is not used for Theydon Garnon Local authority No spare use formal affiliated football. Church of East 1 x mini 7v7 Not available Unsecured (Essex County capacity in the 4 match No further enhancement has been identified as being required as England Primary Council) peak period E equivalents part of this study. School spare capacity No further provision has been identified as being required as part PV of this study. This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. It is a multi-pitch site, including a mini 7v7 grass pitch and a small sided Not available PR sand-based AGP, both of which are used for curriculum and after 1 x mini 7v7 for community No spare school use. The site is not available for community use and is not Coopersale Hall 1 x small-sided use West Not available Unsecured Private capacity in the used for formal affiliated football. School sand-based 4 match peak period No further enhancement has been identified as being required as AGP equivalents E part of this study. spare capacity No further provision has been identified as being required as part PV of this study. 3.5 match No spare This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. This is Debden Park 1 x youth 11v11 South Available Unsecured Academy equivalents capacity in the PR a multi-pitch site with 2 grass pitches and a full size 3G AGP that High School 1 x youth 9v9 spare capacity peak period is used by Barkingside Youth, GFA Loughton and Loughton FC.
Page 63 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
1 x full size 3G Security use has been identified as being unsecured, with clubs AGP booking on a short-term basis to use the 3G AGP facility. This is likely to change in the future as the facility has been re-surfaced, through Football Foundation and County FA facility improvement funding. No further enhancement has been identified as being required as part of this study. If the grass pitches on site are to be made E available, then additional investment and maintenance effort will be required to improve the quality of the pitches. No further provision has been identified as being required as part PV of this study. This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. This is PR a multi-pitch site that is the home ground for Debden Sports Club's football teams. The site has issues with waterlogging, especially on the 3rd pitch, 1.5 match No spare which would benefit from a further technical assessment in order Debden Sports South 3 x adult 11v11 Available Secured Local authority equivalents capacity in the to determine the root cause of these issues. The pitches are rated Club E spare capacity peak period as either poor or the low end of standard, with a poor ancillary facility. Investment is required to refurbish and improve the ancillary facility. No further provision has been identified as being required as part PV of this study. 1 match equivalent of This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. It is a single pitch site that is used for curriculum and after school use. spare capacity PR for mini 7v7 in The site is available for community use however it is not used for Local authority 4 match the peak formal affiliated football. Epping Primary West 1 x mini 7v7 Available Unsecured (Essex County equivalents period. No further enhancement has been identified as being required as School E Council) spare capacity No spare part of this study. capacity in the peak period for No further provision has been identified as being required as part PV any other pitch of this study. typology This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. This is a multi-pitch site with three standard quality pitches and 1 full sized PR 3G AGP, which has recently been resurfaced and is now on the FA pitch register, ensuring it can be used for competitive football. Not available The grass pitches at the site are not available for community use. for community No further enhancement has been identified as being required as 3 x youth 11v11 Not available Voluntary No spare use part of this study. One grass pitch should be available for Epping St John's West 1 x full size 3G (grass Unsecured Controlled capacity in the 6 match community use through a formal 2013 Community Use AGP pitches) School peak period equivalents E Agreement, however the quality of the pitch means it cannot be spare capacity used for community use. If the grass pitches on site are to be made available, then additional investment and maintenance effort will be required to improve the quality of the pitches. No further provision has been identified as being required as part PV of this study. Not available This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. It is a Epping Upland C Local authority No spare for community single pitch site that is used for curriculum and after school use. of E Primary West 1 x mini 7v7 Not available Unsecured (Essex County capacity in the PR use The site is not available for community use and is not used for School Council) peak period 4 match formal affiliated football.
Page 64 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
equivalents No further enhancement has been identified as being required as E spare capacity part of this study. No further provision has been identified as being required as part PV of this study. This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. This is site that is owned and managed by Epping Upper Clapton RFC, PR with the rugby club renting out the small sided 3G AGP for informal No spare Epping Upper 1 x small sided No spare football use and to Epping Youth FC. West Available Secured Sports Club capacity in the Clapton RFC 3G AGP capacity Any enhancement to the 3G APG will be addressed as part of the peak period E Rugby section of this report. No further provision has been identified as being required as part PV of this study. 0.5 match This is a poor quality single pitch site used for local community equivalent of football. The pitch is undulating and suffers from issues with spare capacity waterlogging. The site is currently used by Lindsey Street Football for adult 11v11 PR Club however if this demand can be allocated to a nearby site that in the peak has spare capacity in the peak period (such as Stonards Hill Rec Frampton Road 0.5 match period. Ground), then this site could be re-designated as open space or Recreation West 1 x adult 11v11 Available Unsecured Private equivalents for alternative sports and physical activity, Ground spare capacity No spare If the site is to continue to be used for community football, the capacity in the E grass pitch requires significant investment to improve the quality peak period for and the ancillary facility requires refurbishment or replacement. any other pitch No further provision has been identified as being required as part PV typology of this study. This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. This site has a small sand-based AGP which is of poor quality and has no formal community demand identified. Consultation has PR indicated that planning permission has been granted to resurface Fyfield Business 1 x small-sided No spare the sand-based AGP as a 3G facility. The new facility has been No spare and Research East sand-based Available Unsecured Private capacity in the included in the future supply and demand analysis for AGP capacity Park AGP peak period provision. No further enhancement has been identified as being required as E part of this study. No further provision has been identified as being required as part PV of this study. 2 match This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. This is equivalent of PR a local, parish council owned site that does not have any formal spare capacity football demand recorded for the site. for adult 11v11 The two pitches have been recorded as standard and poor and 3 match in the peak E require a more robust maintenance regime if they are to be used Fyfield Sports Fyfield Parish East 2 x adult 11v11 Available Secured equivalents period. for formal community football. and Social Club Council spare capacity No spare capacity in the No further provision has been identified as being required as part peak period for PV of this study. any other pitch typology This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. This is Not available Football 1 x adult 11v11 No spare the site of the former Football Academy and has previously been for community Academy, South 1 x youth 9v9 Not available Unsecured Unknown capacity in the PR used by GFA Loughton and Grays FC reserves. The site has been use Loughton 2 x mini 7v7 peak period of significant strategic importance to football and represents an 1 match opportunity to provide high quality football provision in the future.
Page 65 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
2 x mini 5v5 equivalents If this site is to be brought back into community use, capital 10 x small spare capacity investment and improved maintenance procedures will be required sided 3G AGP E to ensure it can be used for community football. It has the potential to increase the capacity for grass roots football in the local authority and this should be explored further. No further provision has been identified as being required as part PV of this study. This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. This is a two-pitch site that is heavily used for community football, particularly by Colebrook Royals. The site has been identified as PR having a deficit of football provision across the week, which is at its worse at peak times. This has led to the club turning children away and refusing new participants. No further enhancement has been identified as being required as 8 match No spare 1 x adult 11v11 Grange Farm E part of this study. The site itself is maintained to a high quality with Grange Farm South Available Secured equivalents of capacity in the 1 x youth 9v9 Trust a fit for purpose ancillary provision, overplay peak period The club currently utilising the site requires access to a significant additional provision of grass pitches or 3G AGP provision. Given the footprint of the site, additional grass pitch provision is unlikely PV to be feasible. Given the proximity to neighbouring Chigwell School, the club is hopeful of collaborating with the school to develop 3G provision that can be used by Colebrook Royals outside of school hours. 1 match This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. This is equivalent of an education site that is available to the community but does not PR spare capacity have secured community use. The site has spare capacity for for adult 11v11 further community use, in the peak If the site is to be used for further community use, a secure period. community use agreement is required with the school. The pitches 1 match E are also at the low end of standard and therefore require Guru Gobind 5 match equivalent of improvement, especially through the maintenance regime 2 x adult 11v11 Singh Khalsa South Available Unsecured Local authority equivalents spare capacity undertaken by the school. 1 x youth 11v11 College spare capacity for youth 11v11 in the peak period. No spare No further provision has been identified as being required as part PV capacity in the of this study. peak period for any other pitch typology This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. This is Not available PR an education site that is not available for community use, however for community Local authority No spare the site is used for curriculum and after school football. Hereward use South 2 x youth 9v9 Not available Unsecured (Essex County capacity in the No further enhancement has been identified as being required as Primary School 4 match E Council) peak period part of this study. equivalents No further provision has been identified as being required as part spare capacity PV of this study. Not available This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. It is a Local authority No spare Hillhouse for community single pitch site that is used for curriculum and after school use. West 1 x mini 7v7 Not available Unsecured (Essex County capacity in the PR Primary School use The site is not available for community use and is not used for Council) peak period 4 match formal affiliated football.
Page 66 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
equivalents No further enhancement has been identified as being required as E spare capacity part of this study. No further provision has been identified as being required as part PV of this study. 1 match This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. It is a equivalent of single pitch site that is used for curriculum and after school use. PR spare capacity The site is available for community use however it is not used for for mini 7v7 in formal affiliated football. Local authority 4 match the peak No further enhancement has been identified as being required as Ivy Chimneys E West 1 x mini 7v7 Available Unsecured (Essex County equivalents period. part of this study. Primary School Council) spare capacity No spare capacity in the No further provision has been identified as being required as part peak period for PV of this study. any other pitch typology 1 match This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. This is equivalent of a key site for football in the District and is used as a home ground spare capacity PR by a number of Ongar-based teams. The site has a small amount for youth 9v9 n of spare total capacity, but the site has no spare capacity during the peak the peak period. 2 match Jubilee Park 2 x adult 11v11 Ongar Town period. This site was identified as being of standard quality however East Available Secured equivalents Pavilion 2 x youth 9v9 Council evidence of over-use in areas of high traffic were apparent on spare capacity E No spare assessment. A more robust maintenance programme is required if capacity in the this site is to be used a high-quality football site. peak period for No further provision has been identified as being required as part any other pitch PV of this study. typology This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. This is Not available PR an education site that is not available for community use, however King Harold for community No spare the site is used for curriculum and after school football. Business and 2 x adult 11v11 use West Not available Unsecured Academy capacity in the No further enhancement has been identified as being required as Enterprise 1 x youth 9v9 6 match E peak period part of this study. Academy equivalents No further provision has been identified as being required as part spare capacity PV of this study. This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. This is Not available PR an education site that is not available for community use, however for community Local authority No spare the site is used for curriculum and after school football. Lambourne use East 1 x mini 7v7 Not available Unsecured (Essex County capacity in the No further enhancement has been identified as being required as Primary School 4 match E Council) peak period part of this study. equivalents No further provision has been identified as being required as part spare capacity PV of this study. 1 match This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. This is equivalent of a 2 pitch site owned and managed by the Town Council. The site PR spare capacity is used by Waltham Abbey FC and Upshire FC who have identified for youth 9v9 n some issues with waterlogging. Larsens Waltham 1 match 1 x adult 11v11 the peak Both pitches on the site have been identified as being of poor Recreation West Available Secured Abbey Town equivalents 1 x youth 9v9 period. quality, with access to a changing pavilion that is not fit for purpose Ground Council spare capacity and requires refurbishment or replacement. The maintenance E No spare regime on the site needs improvement and further technical capacity in the analysis is required to identify whether improved drainage peak period for infrastructure would improve the quality of pitches in the long term.
Page 67 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
any other pitch No further provision has been identified as being required as part PV typology of this study. 2 match This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. This is equivalents of a poor quality two-pitch site that is owned by the town council. The spare capacity PR study has not identified any formal football demand for the site for adult 11v11 however it represents an opportunity to provide additional capacity in the peak for football, especially during the period of peak demand. Waltham 2 match Lodge Lane period. If the site is to continue to be used for community football, the West 2 x adult 11v11 Available Unsecured Abbey Town equivalents Playing Field E grass pitch requires significant investment to improve the quality Council spare capacity No spare and the ancillary facility requires refurbishment or replacement. capacity in the As above, if the site is to be used more frequently for junior peak period for PV football, a new ancillary facility is required, in order to meet the any other pitch needs of local residents and participants. typology 1 match This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. This is equivalent of a standard quality multi-pitch site that is owned by the Town PR spare capacity Council and is used as a home ground by Loughton Football Club for adult 11v11 junior age groups. 1 x adult 11v11 in the peak The site has been identified as being of standard quality, however 6 match Loughton 1 x youth 11v11 Loughton period. the maintenance regime is not adequate, given the amount of South Available Secured equivalents Football Club 1 x youth 9v9 Town Council E demand and the number of pitches at the site. The site also has a spare capacity 1 x mini 7v7 No spare poor quality ancillary that requires refurbishment to ensure the full capacity in the site is fit for purpose for community football. peak period for No further provision has been identified as being required as part any other pitch PV of this study. typology This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. This is Not available PR an education site that is not available for community use, however for community No spare the site is used for curriculum and after school football. Loughton Sports use South 1 x mini 7v7 Not available Unsecured Private capacity in the No further enhancement has been identified as being required as Academy 4 match E peak period part of this study. equivalents No further provision has been identified as being required as part spare capacity PV of this study. This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. It is a single pitch site that is used for curriculum and after school use. PR The site is not available for community use and is not used for Loyola No spare 2 x youth 9v9 No spare formal affiliated football. Preparatory South Not available Unsecured Private capacity in the 1 x mini 5v5 capacity No further enhancement has been identified as being required as School peak period E part of this study. No further provision has been identified as being required as part PV of this study. 1 match This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. This is equivalent of PR a standard quality multi-pitch site that is used by Epping Youth FC, spare capacity who have identified issues with vandalism at the site. for youth 9v9 in The site requires an improved maintenance schedule if it is to 5.5 match Memorial 2 x youth 9v9 the peak E continue being used on a regular basis for formal community use. East Available Secured Trust equivalents Playing Fields 1 x mini 5v5 period. The ancillary provision was identified as being of adequate quality. spare capacity 1 match equivalent of No further provision has been identified as being required as part PV spare capacity of this study. for mini 5v5 in
Page 68 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
the peak period. No spare capacity in the peak period for any other pitch typology This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. This is a key site for football in the District and is used as a home ground by a number of teams, including Barkingside Youth, Chigwell Rovers and Loughton Wanders among others. The lack of security 1 match PR of tenure at the site represents a significant risk for football in the equivalent of District, as the closure of this site would lead to a significant local spare capacity shortfall of football provision. Given that the site represents the for youth 9v9 in largest multi-pitch site in the south sub-area, it is a strategically Metropolitan 5 x adult 11v11 1.5 match the peak important site for football participation. Lord Mayors Police (Chigwell South 1 x youth 9v9 Available Unsecured equivalents of period. The pitches on site have been identified as being of standard Office Sports Club) 3 x mini 7v7 overplay No spare quality. The pitches are maintained to an adequate level however capacity in the a more robust maintenance regime would increase the capacity of E peak period for the site and remove the deficit for grass pitch provision that any other pitch currently exists. The site has a disused AGP which is unsafe and typology requires investment to bring back to a usable state. If the site could be secured for long-term community use, a replacement 3G AGP would increase the capacity for grass-roots PV football and provide teams with a high-quality training and match play facility. Not available This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. This is for community PR an education site that is not available for community use, however Local authority use No spare the site is used for curriculum and after school football. Morton Primary East 1 x mini 7v7 Not available Unsecured (Essex County 2 match capacity in the No further enhancement has been identified as being required as School E Council) equivalents peak period part of this study. spare No further provision has been identified as being required as part PV capacity" of this study. This site is likely to be lost, due to the development of the replacement Waltham Abbey Leisure Centre (planning application Epping Forest PR granted). This site is currently a key site for community football, 1 x youth 9v9 District Council 8.5 match No spare given its usage by Abbey Youth FC, therefore grass pitch provision Ninefields West 1 x mini 7v7 Available Unsecured and Essex equivalents capacity in the should be replaced or improved upon, should the pitches be lost. Playing Fields 1 x mini 5v5 County spare capacity peak period No further enhancement has been identified as being required as E Council part of this study. No further provision has been identified as being required as part PV of this study. Not available This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. This is for community PR an education site that is not available for community use, however Local authority use No spare the site is used for curriculum and after school football. Oak View School South 1 x youth 11v11 Not available Unsecured (Essex County 2 match capacity in the No further enhancement has been identified as being required as E Council) equivalents peak period part of this study. spare No further provision has been identified as being required as part PV capacity" of this study.
Page 69 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. This is PR an education site that is not available for community use, however 1 x small-sided No spare the site is used for curriculum and after school football. No spare Oaklands School South sand-based Not available Unsecured Private capacity in the No further enhancement has been identified as being required as capacity E AGP peak period part of this study. No further provision has been identified as being required as part PV of this study. This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. This is a high-quality site that is owned by the same trust organisation that own the neighbouring facilities at Chigwell School. The club has PR access to two grass pitches, along with a high quality ancillary Old 3 match No spare Old Chigwellians facility. The club has no security of tenure, apart from an informal South 2 x adult 11v11 Available Unsecured Chigwellians equivalents capacity in the Club agreement with the school. Association spare capacity peak period No further enhancement has been identified as being required as E part of this study. No further provision has been identified as being required as part PV of this study. This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. This is 0.5 match an education site that available for community use and used for a equivalent of small amount of formal affiliated demand, as well as for curriculum spare capacity and after school football. This site benefited from major drainage for adult 11v11 PR improvements implemented in summer 2017, as part of the new 0.5 match in the peak school development. A new CUA is currently under development Ongar Academy East 1 x adult 11v11 Available Unsecured Academy equivalents period. and it is key that this robust and facilitates consistent community spare capacity No spare use. capacity in the No further enhancement has been identified as being required as peak period for E part of this study. any other pitch No further provision has been identified as being required as part typology PV of this study. 1 match This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. On equivalent of inspection, this site was identified as an informal space with junior PR spare capacity goals, however demand has been identified from a local Sheering for youth 11v11 side. 0.5 match in the peak If this site is to be used on a regular basis for community football, Queens Head Harlow 1 x youth 11v11 Available Unsecured Sports Club equivalents period. E permanent line markings and goal posts are required to provide a Meadow spare capacity No spare fit for purpose football facility for residents capacity in the peak period for No further provision has been identified as being required as part PV any other pitch of this study. typology This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. The PR site has 5 small sided 3G pitches that are managed by a No spare commercial operator and hired by residents in the local area. 5 x small sided No spare Rayley Lane East Available Unsecured Private capacity in the No further enhancement has been identified as being required as 3G AGP capacity E peak period part of this study. No further provision has been identified as being required as part PV of this study. 2 x adult 11v11 2 match This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. This is Local authority 5 match Roding Valley 1 x youth 9v9 equivalent of a standard quality education site that has grass and AGP South Available Secured (Essex County equivalents PR High School 1 x 9v9 3G spare capacity provision. At the time of issue, the 3G AGP had recently passed Council) spare capacity AGP for adult 11v11 the Football Foundation testing procedure, in order for it to be
Page 70 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
in the peak added to the Pitch Register. As a result, it is expected that a period. greater amount of match demand is catered for by the AGP. 1 match No further enhancement has been identified as being required as E equivalent of part of this study. spare capacity for youth 9v9 in the peak period. No further provision has been identified as being required as part No spare PV of this study. capacity in the peak period for any other pitch typology 2.5 match This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. This is equivalent of a large multi-pitch site that is used by Belmont Juniors, as well as spare capacity PR a selection of other local teams and clubs. The facility has been for adult 11v11 identified as being of standard quality however the site is on a in the peak flood plain and therefore pitches flood regularly. period. 0.5 match If the pitches are to continue being used for formal affiliated equivalent of football, the ancillary facility requires refurbishment or replacement spare capacity to ensure it is fit for purpose for community football. There is an for mini 7v7 in E 5 x adult 11v11 opportunity to undertake this refurbishment in partnership with the Roding Valley 13 match the peak 2 x youth 9v9 Loughton local cricket club, which is also in need of improved ancillary Playing Fields South Available Secured equivalents period. 1 x mini 7v7 Town Council provision. North spare capacity 1 match 1 x mini 5v5 equivalent of spare capacity for mini 5v5 in the peak period. No further provision has been identified as being required as part No spare PV of this study. capacity in the peak period for any other pitch typology 1.5 match This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. This is equivalent of a standard quality site that is used by Roydon FC. Given the spare capacity PR location of the site, nearby to the boundary with Harlow, it is for adult 11v11 expected that if the quality of the site was to improve, demand in the peak would be imported from the neighbouring local authority. 3.5 match Roydon Playing period. The maintenance regime at the site requirements improvement, in Harlow 2 x adult 11v11 Available Unsecured Trust equivalents Fields order to create a high quality football site. The long-term security spare capacity No spare E use of the site has also been identified as unsecured, therefore capacity in the further collaboration is required with the site owner to improve the peak period for long term security of use for football. any other pitch No further provision has been identified as being required as part PV typology of this study. Local authority Not available No spare This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. This is Roydon Primary Harlow 2 x mini 7v7 Not available Unsecured (Essex County for community capacity in the PR an education site that is not available for community use, however School Council) use peak period the site is used for curriculum and after school football.
Page 71 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
8 match No further enhancement has been identified as being required as E equivalents part of this study. spare No further provision has been identified as being required as part PV capacity" of this study. Not available This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. This is for community PR an education site that is not available for community use, however St John Fisher Local authority use No spare the site is used for curriculum and after school football. Catholic Primary South 1 x mini 7v7 Not available Unsecured (Essex County 4 match capacity in the No further enhancement has been identified as being required as E School Council) equivalents peak period part of this study. spare No further provision has been identified as being required as part PV capacity" of this study. Not available This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. This is for community PR an education site that is not available for community use, however Stapleford Local authority use No spare the site is used for curriculum and after school football. Abbots Primary East 1 x mini 7v7 Not available Unsecured (Essex County 4 match capacity in the No further enhancement has been identified as being required as E School Council) equivalents peak period part of this study. spare No further provision has been identified as being required as part PV capacity" of this study. 2 match This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. This is equivalent of a public park that is owned by Epping Town Council. On spare capacity PR inspection, the site had no line markings or permanent posts for adult 11v11 however demand has been identified from Epping Youth, Epping in the peak and North Weald FC. period. Based on the capacity analysis, not all of the available pitches on 1 match the site require marking out, however investment should be Stonards Hill 17.5 match equivalent of prioritised for 2 adult pitches, to ensure that a proportion of the site 3 x adult 11v11 Epping Town Recreation West Available Unsecured equivalents spare capacity has adequate maintenance and drainage infrastructure to meet the 2 x mini 7v7 Council E Ground spare capacity for mini 7v7 in needs of clubs. There are existing proposals for the refurbishment the peak and extension of the pavilion to meet FA ground grading period. requirements and these should be supported. There are also plans No spare to improve drainage on the pitches, to improve quality of provision. capacity in the The site does not currently have an ancillary facility that is fit for peak period for PV purpose. If the site is to be used for community football in the long any other pitch term, a new ancillary provision is required. typology Not available This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. This is for community PR an education site that is not available for community use, however Local authority use No spare the site is used for curriculum and after school football. The Leverton West 1 x mini 7v7 Not available Unsecured (Essex County 4 match capacity in the No further enhancement has been identified as being required as Junior School E Council) equivalents peak period part of this study. spare No further provision has been identified as being required as part PV capacity" of this study. Not available This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. This is for community PR an education site that is not available for community use, however The White Local authority use No spare the site is used for curriculum and after school football. Bridge Primary South 1 x mini 7v7 Not available Unsecured (Essex County 2 match capacity in the No further enhancement has been identified as being required as E School Council) equivalents peak period part of this study. spare No further provision has been identified as being required as part PV capacity" of this study.
Page 72 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Not available This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. This is for community PR an education site that is not available for community use, however Theydon Bois use No spare the site is used for curriculum and after school football. County Primary East 2 x youth 9v9 Not available Unsecured Local authority 2 match capacity in the No further enhancement has been identified as being required as E School equivalents peak period part of this study. spare No further provision has been identified as being required as part PV capacity" of this study. Not available This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. This is for community PR an education site that is not available for community use, however Local authority use No spare the site is used for curriculum and after school football. Thomas South 1 x mini 7v7 Not available Unsecured (Essex County 2 match capacity in the No further enhancement has been identified as being required as Willingale School E Council) equivalents peak period part of this study. spare No further provision has been identified as being required as part PV capacity" of this study. 1 match This is a poor quality one pitch site that has been identified as equivalent of having no demand for formal community use. There is therefore an PR spare capacity opportunity to re-designate the site as open space or for for youth 11v11 alternative physical activity. in the peak If the site is to be used for further community use, a secure 1 match Thornwood North Weald period. community use agreement is required with the school. The pitch is West 1 x youth 11v11 Available Unsecured equivalents E Common Parish Council also of poor quality and therefore requires improvement, especially spare capacity No spare through the maintenance regime undertaken by the Parish Council capacity in the peak period for No further provision has been identified as being required as part PV any other pitch of this study. typology This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. This is a key site for football in the District, with the provision of 2 adult grass pitches and a full size 3G AGP that can be used for competitive matchplay. In conjunction with plans to relocate 0.5 match pitches from the existing Ninefields site to Townmead Leisure equivalent of PR Park, there are plans to increase the capacity of the existing spare capacity Townmead Leisure Park through the provision of additional grass for adult 11v11 pitches. This will be examined in further detail in the scenario in the peak 2 x adult 11v11 Waltham 4 match section of this study. The site is currently under capacity for grass Townmead period. West 1 x full size 3G Available Secured Abbey Town equivalents of pitches. Leisure Park AGP Council overplay The existing grass pitches were identified as being of standard No spare quality with further analysis required to confirm how investment capacity in the should be used to improve the overall quality of the site. The peak period for E existing pitches on the site requirement improvement, in order to any other pitch increase the capacity of the site and address the current deficit of typology grass pitch provision. In line with the statement above re. the addition of new pitches, if PV demand is to increase at the site, new pitches will be required to meet the need, especially during the periods of peak demand. Not available This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. This is Upshire Primary Local authority for community No spare PR an education site that is not available for community use, however Foundation West 1 x mini 7v7 Not available Unsecured (Essex County use capacity in the the site is used for curriculum and after school football. School Council) 2 match peak period No further enhancement has been identified as being required as E equivalents part of this study.
Page 73 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
spare No further provision has been identified as being required as part PV capacity" of this study. 1 match This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. This is equivalent of PR an education site that is available for community use, however the spare capacity site is only used for curriculum and after school football. for youth 9v9 in No further enhancement has been identified as being required as E the peak part of this study. Waltham Holy Local authority 2 match period. Cross County West 1 x youth 9v9 Available Unsecured (Essex County equivalents
Junior School Council) spare capacity No spare No further provision has been identified as being required as part capacity in the PV of this study. peak period for any other pitch typology This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. This two pitch site is used by GFA Loughton Youth FC, however the PR site has recently suffered from damage, caused by moto-cross events on the site. The site currently has a deficit of provision throughout the week and during periods of peak demand. 1.5 match No spare If the site is to continue to be used for community football, the Willingale Road Loughton South 2 x mini 7v7 Available Secured equivalents of capacity in the E grass pitch requires significant investment to improve the quality Playing Fields Town Council overplay peak period and the ancillary facility requires refurbishment or replacement. As above, further capacity for football is required at the site. If it is not possible to improve the quality of existing provision then steps PV should be taken to add new pitches and further capacity to the site, which would address shortages of supply during the peak period.
Page 74 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Football Summary This section summarises the findings from the football analysis, which will form the basis of the recommendation and action plan section for Epping Forest District. Table 3.24 includes the response to 5 key questions, which are asked for all PPS studies across the UK, in order to provide a standardised illustration of supply and demand for sports provision.
Table 3.24 – Key PPS findings for football in Epping Forest District Key Question Analysis The quality of football provision across the District is standard and appears What are the main to have stayed at a consistent level over the past years. The level of demand characteristics of has also stayed at a relatively consistent level, with major clubs continuing to the current supply grow, offset by the contraction of demand for smaller affiliated adult’s teams. and demand for Both the supply and demand for football facilities is dominated by the South provision? sub-area, which is home to the majority of the large clubs, as well as a number of the strategic football sites. The current supply and demand analysis for secured and accessible pitch provision shows there is a small amount of spare capacity across the Is there enough District, however this is not for all pitch typologies as both 11v11 and mini accessible and 5v5 have a deficit of provision. Furthermore, all pitch typologies apart from secured community adult 11v11 have no spare capacity during the peak period and therefore do use provision to not provide capacity for further growth. meet current There is a significant deficit of 3G AGP provision in the area, with a demand requirement to increase provision, especially in the South sub-area. There is a deficit of 3 full sized 3G AGP’s currently, with 2 of these identified as being required in the South sub-area and one in the East sub-area. Is the provision that While several clubs have identified issues with drainage and maintenance, is accessible of the overall quality of facilities and the robustness of maintenance regimes is sufficient quality standard. There are a small number of poor quality sites, however these are and appropriately typically rural one or two pitch sites that are owned and maintained by the maintained? parish or council and have limited or no formal football demand. With a significant projected growth in population during the lifetime of the study, the requirement for youth and mini pitches is likely to increase. This has been combined with the projected latent demand for football to provide What are the main an estimated growth of 162 teams across all ages. characteristics of This demand is projected to be particularly significant in the Harlow and the future supply South Sub-areas, given the projected population growth. and demand for The largest growth is project to be realised in the Youth 11v11 and mini- provision soccer age groups. The supply of provision is also likely to change, with the development of 3G provision at Fyfield Business Park and Roding Valley High School, as well as the loss of grass pitch provision at Ninefields. The future supply and demand analysis for secured and accessible pitch provision shows there is a significant total deficit for secured provision of 97.5 match equivalents across all pitch typologies. This is at its worst for Youth 11v11 and Mini 5v5, with teams currently using facilities that are not of Is there enough an appropriate size. accessible and Spatially, the sub-area with the highest future projected deficit of supply is secured community the West sub-area, which is largely caused by the projected growth at large use provision to clubs as Abbey Youth FC and Waltham Abbey FC. There is also a 46.9 meet future match equivalent deficit of provision in the South Sub-area, which is most demand significant for youth 11v11 pitches. The Harlow sub-area also shows a large deficit of supply for the future analysis, which is caused by the large growth in population and expected demand, driven by the Harlow Garden Town development project.
Page 75 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
CRICKET ANALYSIS
Introduction and Strategic Context In order to understand the overall objectives and priorities of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), an analysis of key recent strategies and documentation has been undertaken and summarised below.
CRICKET UNLEASHED (2016) The ECB published its new strategic plan in 2015. One of the core aims of the strategy is to create more players, great teams and inspired fans, guided by good governance and strong financial operations. The goal of Cricket unleashed is to make the game more accessible and inspire the next generation of players, coaches, officials and volunteers. The ECB are looking to work with local authorities to develop fit-for-purpose facility and participation plans that will engage with local residents and ensure residents are provided with the right facilities to help them play the game. It is key that this Playing Pitch Strategy recognises the opportunity made available by Cricket Unleashed and provides a framework that allows stakeholders to work together and deliver against the key objectives of ‘more play’, ‘great teams’ and ‘inspired fans’. It’s also vital that any facility development for cricket takes the objectives of the strategy into consideration, namely the growth of entry level cricket, women and girls’ cricket, T20 and engagement of previously hard-to- reach demographics groups.
ALL STARS CRICKET (2017) Launched in 2017, All Stars Cricket is an ECB initiative that provides children aged five to eight with an introduction to cricket, focussing on parental engagement in supporting the newly trained All Stars Cricket Activators, as well as having a special focus on establishing women’s softball and cricket events. The programme will be delivered nationwide at over 1,800 centres, predominantly at club sites, with the ECB expecting the programme to have a positive impact on junior demand in the short to medium term, providing a transition for children into formal junior cricket. It is key that this Playing Pitch Strategy recognises the opportunity made available by Cricket Unleashed and All Stars Cricket and provides a framework that allows stakeholders to work together and deliver against the key objectives of ‘more play’, ‘great teams’ and ‘inspired fans’.
GROUNDS TO PLAY – ENGLAND AND WALES CRICKET BOARD STRATEGIC PLAN (2010 – 2013) The ECB published its Strategic Plan in 2010. One of the core aims of the strategy is to enhance facilities, environments and participation. The ECB is prioritising the expansion of indoor cricket facilities, better use of school facilities and establishing better school-club links in order to position cricket at the heart of the community. This strategy was followed by the National Club Strategy (2012).
NATIONAL CLUB STRATEGY (2012) The ECB’s National Club Strategy was developed from its Strategic Plan. It focuses on promoting the sustainability of clubs and their facilities. The ECB aims to develop accessible, high quality and innovative facilities which inspire the nation to choose cricket and create a culture of sustainable development which will leave a legacy for generations to come.
Page 76 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Consultation Overview In addition to the structure and guidance provided by the ECB, local cricket in Epping Forest District is governed by the Essex County Cricket Board (CCB). Both organisations have been consulted as part of the PPS process, with key priorities and facility development needs for the District highlighted below. Cricket is a popular sport across the District, with a large number of formal affiliated teams playing as part of structured clubs. Team and clubs typically play as part of league structures, which include clubs from a number of different local authorities. Clubs range from one-team clubs, which are typically non-competitive and focussed on enjoyment and participation, through to multi team clubs with in-built governance structures and long-term investment plans. Consultation with Essex CCB and the ECB has indicated the following areas are development priorities for the two organisations, who work together to improve facilities and participation across the District;
• Workforce and coaching; ensuring clubs have suitable internal structures in place to run the club and provide adequate coaching to junior and senior players • Quality of 3rd and 4th team grounds; working with clubs to ensure that the 2nd grounds, used by 3rd, 4th and 5th teams, are of adequate quality, well located and secured for long-term community use • Development opportunities; ensuring that clubs have the facilities and infrastructure in place to maximise growth opportunities, presented through the delivery of All Stars Cricket and Cricket Unleashed.
CLUB CONSULTATION As part of the PPS process, a club consultation evening was held (May 2018), where all clubs in the District were invited to share their facility issues and development priorities. Key findings from this consultation are included below, with further detail provided as part of the specific club consultation sections. The following clubs were represented at the consultation evening; Roding Valley CC, Fives and Heronians CC, Theydon Bois CC, High Beach CC, Abridge CC, Fyfield CC, Loughton CC, South Loughton CC, Epping CC. In addition, representatives were present from the Consultancy team, the ECB, Essex CCB and Active Essex County Sports Partnership. General issues across the local authorities were identified as;
• A lack of accessibility to high quality indoor cricket venues, for use as indoor cricket match venues or for indoor coaching and winter training • A lack of qualified coaches and the cost/hassle of coaching bureaucracy • Different quality and availability of volunteer and contracted grounds staff • Security of tenure at school sites, dependant on personality and personal interests of head teachers Club and site-specific facility issues and priorities will be identified in the following sections.
Supply Table 4.1 below presents a summary of the total number of cricket wickets in each of the four sub- areas, as well as the District as a whole. Technical Appendix B – Cricket Analysis presents a detailed audit of all pitches across the District including carrying capacity, supply and demand and
Page 77 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
quality. Figure 4.1 overleaf also shows the supply of cricket wickets across the District, colour coded by type.
Table 4.1 – Supply of cricket pitches in Epping Forest District District sub-area Grass wickets Artificial wickets Sub-area East 50 3 Sub-area South 101 3 Sub-area West 46 0 Sub-area: Harlow 35 0 All 232 6
Figure 4.1 illustrates that there is a relatively even spread of cricket sites across the District, with a concentration of supply in sub-area south. The high quantity of supply in such a small area is influenced by a number of independent cricket playing education facilities located in the area, as well as major clubs located in the major towns of Epping, Loughton and Chigwell.
Page 78 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Figure 4.1 – Cricket supply in Epping Forest District
Page 79 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
TENURE AND MANAGEMENT Table 4.2 illustrates that while the ownership of cricket sites is varied across the District, the highest proportion of sites is owned privately or by Parish and Town Councils. While the latter is expected for a rural District such as Epping Forest District, the high proportion of private land holding is unusual and likely to have an impact on the long-term security of cricket across the District. This will be analysed further as part of the site by site assessment and commentary. In addition, Table 4.2 illustrates that the management of cricket facilities is dominated by sports clubs, which is made up both volunteer workforces and paid maintenance contractors. This identifies a high level of autonomy and low reliance on the Council for cricket facility maintenance and management.
Table 4.2 – Cricket site ownership and management in Epping Forest District Type of ownership Ownership Management Academy Trust 1 0 Community Organisation 2 1 Corporation of London 3 0 Education 0 4 Epping Forest DC 2 1 LEA 2 0 Lord Mayors Office 1 0 Other 1 0 Parish/Town Council 6 6 Private 6 2 Sports Club 4 14 Table 4.3 overleaf provides a breakdown of the cricket sites in Epping Forest District, the majority of which have secured community use. Further detail is provided in the Technical Appendix B – Cricket Analysis.
Page 80 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Table 4.3 – Cricket site breakdown for Epping Forest District
No of Cricket No. of Non-Turf Availability for Security of Site Name Sub area No. of wickets Squares wickets community use community use
Abridge Cricket Club East 1 6 1 Available Secured Buckhurst Hill Cricket and Lacrosse Club South 1 12 0 Available Secured Buckhurst Hill Cricket Club South 1 8 0 Available Secured Buxton Playing Field East 1 8 0 Available Secured Chigwell School South 4 32 0 Not Available Unsecured Coopersale Cricket Club West 1 9 0 Available Secured Davenant Foundation School South 1 0 1 Not Available Unsecured Epping Cricket Club West 1 11 0 Available Secured Epping Foresters Cricket Club West 1 12 0 Available Unsecured Fives and Heronians Cricket Club South 1 10 0 Available Unsecured Fyfield Sports and Social Club East 1 10 0 Available Secured Hereward Primary School South 1 1 0 Not Available Secured High Beach Cricket Club West 1 6 0 Available Unsecured Jubilee Park Pavilion East 1 10 1 Available Secured Larsens Recreation Ground West 1 0 0 Available Secured Loughton Cricket Club South 1 12 0 Available Secured Matching Green Cricket Club Harlow 1 11 0 Available Secured Memorial Playing Fields East 1 9 0 Available Secured Metropolitan Police (Chigwell Sports Club) South 1 8 0 Available Secured Nazeing Common Harlow 1 14 0 Available Unsecured Old Chigwellians Club South 1 8 0 Available Secured
Page 81 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
No of Cricket No. of Non-Turf Availability for Security of Site Name Sub area No. of wickets Squares wickets community use community use
Queens Head Meadow Harlow 1 0 0 Available Secured Roding Valley Cricket Club South 4 10 0 Available Secured Roding Valley High School South 1 0 2 Not Available Unsecured Roydon Playing Fields Harlow 1 10 0 Available Secured South Loughton Cricket Club West 1 8 0 Available Secured Townmead Leisure Park West 1 0 0 Available Secured Willingale Cricket Club East 2 7 1 Available Secured
QUALITY ASSESMENT Each site (where access was possible) was visited and assessed by the 4 global research team (in June 2017) using a non-technical assessment framework provided by the ECB. The assessment considers the quality of playing surface, the quality of changing rooms and the score of the maintenance regime when compared to ECB recommendations. In addition to the site visits, the club consultation was used to validate the quality ratings. Each site is rated as GOOD (≥80%), STANDARD (between 50% and 80%) or POOR (<50%). Table 4.4 summarises the quality assessment results. Full details of the subsequent carrying capacity allocations of each site by pitch type can be found in Technical Appendix B – Cricket Analysis. Given the ratings, the overall standard of pitches across Epping Forest is good, with 90% of open and working pitches scoring standard or better.
Table 4.4 – Summary of cricket pitch scoring in Epping Forest District by sub-area Sub-area Outfield Artificial Wickets Grass Wickets Changing /Pavilion Non-Turf Practice Overall Score East 89% 67% 92% 83% 67% 83% Harlow 84% None 83% 57% 75% 74% South 91% 39% 100% 82% 83% 83% West 77% None 77% 61% 67% 71%
Page 82 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Average Score 87% 51% 91% 74% 75% 80%
Page 83 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Table 4.4 illustrates that the East and South sub-areas scored well for cricket provision quality, with the grass wickets and outfield in particular scoring over 90%. In contrast, cricket provision in the West sub-area scored lower for site quality, with changing pavilions and artificial wickets identified as a particular issue.
Demand
CLUB AND TEAM PROFILE To understand how cricket is played across the District and the trends for demand across the game, this section assesses consultation responses from all clubs in the District that responded to requests to take part in the study. Through the demand consultations with clubs, 18 clubs have been identified as playing in Epping Forest District. Survey responses were received by 17 clubs however Table 4.5 overleaf provides team data for all clubs, with those who did not respond identified by a *. Where clubs did not respond to the survey, data was gathered through desktop research.
Table 4.5 – Cricket club profiles for Epping Forest District clubs. Sub-area (home No. of competitive teams Club Total ground location) Snr male Snr female Juniors Abridge CC East 2 0 0 2 Buckhurst Hill CC* South 6 0 5 11 Coopersale CC* West 1 0 0 1 Epping CC West 3 0 0 3 Epping Foresters CC West 4 0 4 8 Fives & Heronians CC South 4 0 6 10 Fyfield CC East 1 0 3 4 High Beach CC West 1 0 0 1 Loughton CC South 6 0 13 19 Matching Green CC Harlow 4 0 1 5 Nazeing Common CC Harlow 5 0 1 6 North Weald CC East 2 0 1 3 Ongar CC East 1 0 0 1 Roding Valley CC South 5 0 0 5 Roydon CC West 1 0 0 1 South Loughton CC South 4 0 3 7 Theydon Bois CC East 2 0 3 5 Willingale CC East 2 0 0 2 Total 54 0 40 94 To illustrate how the demand for cricket is spread geographically, Table 4.6 indicates how the clubs are split by sub-area.
Table 4.6 – Cricket demand by sub-area No. of competitive teams Sub-area Total Senior male Senior female Juniors East 14 0 8 22 Harlow 9 0 2 11 South 25 0 27 52 West 15 0 5 20
Page 84 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Table 4.6 shows that the majority of cricket is played in the South sub-area, with the remaining demand spread across the East and West and Harlow sub-areas. To further understand the demand for cricket in the in District, detailed consultations have been undertaken with 17 of the 18 cricket clubs in Epping Forest District. The detailed account of these consultations is provided in Technical Appendix B – Cricket Analysis, with key strategic priorities referenced in the site-by-site assessment later in this section.
Future Demand
DEMAND DRIVEN BY POPULATION GROWTH In order to understand the future demand for cricket in the study area, a Team Generation Rate8 has been calculated using the current number of teams and the current population. This measure allows us to calculate what size of population (for various age groups) will typically cause enough demand for a cricket team. This TGR can now be applied to the population projections for the study area to confirm how population growth or reduction will affect the demand for teams in each of the key age groups. Table 4.7 and 4.8 overleaf illustrates that the greatest projected growth in cricket demand is projected to be junior boys, followed by men’s (open age) cricket. As no formal demand was recorded for female cricket across the District, the TGR calculation is unable to project the likely growth in demand for these age groups. It should be noted that the * indicates an adjusted level of demand for female cricket. As there are currently no female teams playing cricket in Epping Forest District, it is not possible to allocate a TGR ratio, which means that no future growth can be projected. Following consultation with the ECB, and in line with the NGB’s national strategy, this does not represent a realistic future picture of female cricket. The ECB and County Cricket Boards (including Essex CCB) are making a conscious effort to increase female participation across the country, especially following England’s 2017 Womens Cricket World Cup win. To ensure a more accurate future growth projection is considered as part of the study, we have used figures from the latent demand analysis, which projects one additional female team in the South sub-area over the lifetime of the strategy. This has been included in the following tables however it is not double counted as part of the overall future supply and demand analysis. Utilising the current demand for cricket in each of the sub areas and how each of the sub-areas is projected to grow over the lifetime of the strategy, an estimation of how the growth of demand is likely to be allocated across the four sub areas is summarised in the table below.
Table 4.7 – Projected increase in cricket demand in Epping Forest District by Sub-area Age Group East Harlow South West Total Cricket Open Age Mens (18-55yrs) 1 2 1 1 5 Cricket Open Age Womens (18-55yrs) 0 0 1* 0 1 Cricket Junior Boys (7-18yrs) 1 5 2 2 10 Cricket Junior Girls (7-18yrs) 0 0 0 0 0 2 7 4 3 16
8 The Team Generation Rate calculation uses the current number of teams and the current population to calculate a proxy measure of the number of total residents per relevant sports team. This measure is therefore applied to the projected population (depending on the length of the strategy) to predict how many additional teams will be required in order to satisfy the demand from the ‘new’ population.
Page 85 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Table 4.8: Impact of population projections on the need for cricket provision (Team Generation Rates) No. of teams in Current population in Future population Current Population Change Potential Change in Age Group age group age group in age group TGR in Age Group Team Numbers Cricket Open Age Mens (18-55yrs) 54 31267 33875 579 2608 5 Cricket Open Age Womens (18-55yrs) 0 33270 35517 n/a 2247 1* Cricket Junior Boys (7-18yrs) 39 8918 11220 229 2302 10 Cricket Junior Girls (7-18yrs) 1 8603 10729 8603 2126 0
DEMAND DRIVEN BY LATENT DEMAND While a large amount of future demand will be driven by population growth, it is also likely that clubs and operators are successful in converting latent demand into actual demand, therefore increasing the number of people playing cricket. The table below identifies all clubs, grouped by sub-area, that identified latent demand (not currently active), which they are aiming to convert into affiliated cricket demand within the next 3 - 5 years. This provides an estimation of the number of new teams that will be required in Epping Forest District, in addition to the teams generated by population growth. Table 4.8 illustrates the significant projected growth that clubs are expecting over the next 3 – 5 years, which represents an equivalent level of growth that is projected to be influenced by population growth. It is important to note that this projected growth should be treated with an element of caution, as the source of information is club consultations. In some instances, clubs may not have considered the governance and infrastructure requirements, associated with ongoing club growth. As a result, there may be instances where actual growth does not meet the projections identified during consultation.
Table 4.8: Latent demand for cricket by sub-area Senior Cricket Junior Cricket Sub-area Men Women Boys Girls East 2 0 2 0 Harlow 2 1 5 0 South 2 0 3 0 West 0 0 2 0 Total 6 1 12 0
Page 86 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
CURRENT AND FUTURE DEMAND FOR INDOOR CRICKET Consultations undertaken as part of the PPS project have identified that a key priority for clubs and Essex County Cricket Board is the continuation of indoor cricket in the District and the wider Essex County. While indoor facilities do not sit within the scope of this PPS, it is important that development priorities are referenced, as they have an impact on the wider game of cricket, including the level of participation from adults and juniors. Club feedback has indicated that there are no facilities within Epping Forest District that are capable of supporting competitive indoor cricket (matchplay), with the nearest facility being the Peter May Sports Centre in Walthamstow. This is not only a long way for clubs to travel to training and matchplay, but it is also difficult for clubs to secure a block booking given the popularity of the facility.
Supply and Demand Balance This section presents the supply and demand balance findings for cricket provision (both for current and future scenarios) for the study, split by sub-area. The pitch balance figures i.e. the relationship between supply and demand, have been calculated using the capacity and pitch quality ratings, with further detail provided in Technical Appendix B – Cricket Analysis. Table 4.9 to 4.12 below show the total capacity analysis for cricket in each of the three sub-areas. For each table, scenarios have been tested, to show the impact of pitch ownership and security across the sub-area. Overall, there is currently a small oversupply of cricket provision, when all available sites are taken into consideration. When the future scenario is tested, however, a significant deficit of grass cricket provision is projected across the District. Supply and demand analysis for the District as a whole, as well as each of the sub-areas in turn, is provided in the following sections.
OVERPLAY Overplay occurs when a cricket square is played on a greater amount than is recommended by the pitch’s carrying capacity. For example, through agreement with the project steering group the carrying capacity for grass wickets in Epping Forest District is five matches per season. If a square has 8 individual wickets, then this provides an overall carrying capacity of 40 matches per season for that square. If, however, demand consultation indicates that there are 50 matches being played on that square over the course of a season, then that square (pitch) can be said to be overplayed. There are a number of reasons for a pitch being overplayed, such as lack of alternative provision, poor site management, or a discrepancy in pitch rates, making some more affordable than others. It is important that any overplay of pitches is considered as part of the overall supply and demand analysis, therefore Table 4.9 below identifies all sites that have pitches with overplay or that have been identified as being at capacity (and therefore risk falling into overplay). Where overplay has been identified as part of this analysis, it is included within the overall supply and demand analysis for cricket in the District. A full capacity analysis of all sites with cricket provision is included within Technical Appendix B – Cricket Analysis.
Page 87 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Table 4.9: Overplay of cricket pitches in Epping Forest District (Only sites with overplay included) Extent of overplay or Sub No of Cricket spare capacity Site Name Site Comments area Squares (match equivalents per season) Abridge Cricket This site is currently at East 1 0 Club capacity for grass wickets Buckhurst Hill This site is currently over Cricket and South 1 -5 capacity for grass wickets Lacrosse Club Davenant This site is currently over Foundation South 1 -9 capacity for grass wickets School Epping Foresters This site is currently over West 1 -28 Cricket Club capacity for grass wickets Fives and This site is currently over Heronians South 1 -20 capacity for grass wickets Cricket Club Loughton Cricket This site is currently over South 1 -70 Club capacity for grass wickets Roding Valley This site is currently at South 4 -10 Cricket Club capacity for grass wickets South Loughton This site is currently over West 1 -21 Cricket Club capacity for grass wickets
Table 4.9 shows the sites across the District where overplay has been found. This is a particularly issue for sites in the South sub-area, with a combined overplay of 114 matches per season. This level of overplay typically leads to clubs either failing to host fixtures or using unsecured nearby facilities for short term usage on an ad hoc basis, to ensure that facilities can be fulfilled. It is therefore important that future facility planning allows clubs to utilise an adequate quantity of provision to ensure that existing facilities are not subject to overplay.
TOTAL DISTRICT SUPPLY AND DEMAND Table 4.9 provides the supply and demand analysis for all cricket provision in Epping Forest District. The analysis includes 6 scenarios, which are repeated for each of the sub-areas in the following sections. These scenarios include different levels of supply and demand, to test the impact of potential changes over the lifetime of the strategy. For example, scenario 2,3,5 and 6 only take into consideration sites that are secured for community use in 2017 and 2033 respectively. For each of the supply and demand assessments, the key findings from the analysis are included as bullet points below the tables.
Page 88 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Table 4.9: Overall cricket supply and demand for Epping Forest District Community use demand Capacity – Capacity (matches + training in Balance Commentary (all Scenario Name Notes grass – non-turf match equivalents) figures quoted pitches pitches per season) Adult Junior Total Current Analysis (2017) This includes all cricket sites that are confirmed as 197 match 1. All available sites; grass being available for community use using 5 matches 995 180 533 265 197 equivalents of wickets only per grass wicket per season spare capacity This includes all cricket sites that are confirmed as 8 match equivalent 2. All secured sites; grass being available and secured for community use 790 180 533 265 -8 deficit for grass wickets only using 5 matches per grass wicket per season wicket facilities 172 match 3. All secured site; grass As above, but including non-turf pitches, with an 790 180 533 265 172 equivalents spare and non-turf pitches assumed capacity of 60 matches per season capacity Future Analysis (2033) 70 match 4. All available sites; grass As per scenario 1, but including the projected growth 995 180 704 361 -70 equivalent deficit wickets- FUTURE analysis in demand, as per Table 4.7 and 4.8 for grass wickets 275 match 5. All secured sites; grass As above, but including the projected growth in 790 180 704 361 -275 equivalent deficit wickets - FUTURE analysis demand, as per Table 4.7 and 4.8 for grass wickets 6. All secured sites; grass 945 match As above, but including the projected growth in and non-turf wickets - 790 180 704 361 -95 equivalent deficit demand, as per Table 4.7 and 4.8 FUTURE analysis for grass wickets • For all sites that are available for community use, there is current spare capacity for grass cricket provision in Epping Forest District • When taking into consideration only sites that are secured for community use, this converts to a deficit, indicating that clubs are reliant on sites that are not currently secured, such as Fives and Heronians and High Beach Cricket Clubs • The future analysis for cricket supply and demand, including the future projected demand from latent and population driven demand, calculates that a deficit is projected for both available and secured pitch provision • When considering both grass and artificial pitch provision as part of the supply, there is still a deficit of 95 matches per season for the future capacity analysis.
Page 89 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
EAST SUB-AREA SUPPLY AND DEMAND ANALYSIS Table 4.10: Cricket supply and demand for East sub-area Community use demand Capacity Capacity – Commentary (all (matches + training in Balance Scenario Name Notes – grass non-turf figures quoted match equivalents) pitches pitches per season) Adult Junior Total Current Analysis (2017) This includes all cricket sites that are confirmed as 101 match 1. All available sites; grass being available for community use using 5 matches 250 180 114 35 101 equivalents of wickets only per grass wicket per season spare capacity This includes all cricket sites that are confirmed as 101 match 2. All secured sites; grass being available and secured for community use 250 180 114 35 101 equivalents of wickets only using 5 matches per grass wicket per season spare capacity 281 match 3. All secured site; grass As above, but including non-turf pitches, with an 250 180 114 35 461 equivalents of and non-turf pitches assumed capacity of 60 matches per season spare capacity Future Analysis (2033) 41 match 4. All available sites; grass As per scenario 1, but including the projected 250 180 153 55 41 equivalents of wickets- FUTURE analysis growth in demand, as per Table 4.7 and 4.8 spare capacity 41 match 5. All secured sites; grass As above, but including the projected growth in 250 180 153 55 41 equivalents of wickets - FUTURE analysis demand, as per Table 4.7 and 4.8 spare capacity 6. All secured sites; grass 222 match As above, but including the projected growth in and non-turf wickets - 250 180 153 55 222 equivalents of demand, as per Table 4.7 and 4.8 FUTURE analysis spare capacity • For all sites that are available for community use, there is current spare capacity for grass cricket provision in the East sub-area • When taking into consideration only sites that are secured for community use, this remains as the same level of spare capacity, as all sites that are available for community use in the sub-area are also secured for community use • The future analysis for cricket supply and demand, including the future projected demand from latent and population driven demand, calculates that there is still projected to be spare capacity, however this is likely to diminish. • While there is spare total capacity, the peak time supply and demand analysis (explained in the following section) identifies that there is only minimal spare capacity during the period of peak demand, illustrating that the spare capacity calculated in this table is driven by the total number of wickets, rather than number of available squares that can be used at the same time.
Page 90 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
HARLOW SUB-AREA SUPPLY AND DEMAND ANALYSIS Table 4.11: Cricket supply and demand for Harlow sub-area Community use demand Capacity Capacity – (matches + training in Balance Commentary (all Scenario Name Notes – grass non-turf match equivalents) figures quoted pitches pitches per season) Adult Junior Total Current Analysis (2017) This includes all cricket sites that are confirmed as 88 match 1. All available sites; grass being available for community use using 5 matches 175 0 76 11 88 equivalents of wickets only per grass wicket per season spare capacity This includes all cricket sites that are confirmed as 18 match 2. All secured sites; grass being available and secured for community use 105 0 76 11 18 equivalents of wickets only using 5 matches per grass wicket per season spare capacity 18 match 3. All secured site; grass As above, but including non-turf pitches, with an 105 0 76 11 18 equivalents of and non-turf pitches assumed capacity of 60 matches per season spare capacity Future Analysis (2033) 44 match 4. All available sites; grass As per scenario 1, but including the projected 175 0 99 32 44 equivalents of wickets- FUTURE analysis growth in demand, as per Table 4.7 and 4.8 spare capacity 25 match 5. All secured sites; grass As above, but including the projected growth in 105 0 99 32 -25 equivalent deficit wickets - FUTURE analysis demand, as per Table 4.7 and 4.8 for grass wickets 6. All secured sites; grass 25 match As above, but including the projected growth in and non-turf wickets - 105 0 99 32 -25 equivalent deficit demand, as per Table 4.7 and 4.8 FUTURE analysis for grass wickets • For all sites that are available for community use, there is current spare capacity for grass cricket provision in the Harlow sub-area • This spare capacity reduces when considering only sites that are secured for community use, which is influenced by the lack of long-term security at Nazeing Common • The future analysis, which takes into consideration the significant population growth for the area, as well as the latent demand provided by clubs currently playing in the sub-area, indicates that there is projected to a deficit of provision in the Harlow sub-area, if the current level of supply stays consistent • This deficit is not improved when considering non-turf pitch provision, as there are not currently any NTP’s that are used within the District. The opportunity to install these facilities as part of future facility investment will be evaluated as part of the recommendations and action plan section of this report.
Page 91 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Page 92 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
SOUTH SUB-AREA SUPPLY AND DEMAND ANALYSIS Table 4.12: Cricket supply and demand for South sub-area Community use demand Capacity Capacity – (matches + training in Balance Commentary (all Scenario Name Notes – grass non-turf match equivalents) figures quoted pitches pitches per season) Adult Junior Total Current Analysis (2017) This includes all cricket sites that are confirmed as 23 match 1. All available sites; grass being available for community use using 5 matches 340 0 202 161 -23 equivalent deficit wickets only per grass wicket per season for grass wickets This includes all cricket sites that are confirmed as 68 match 2. All secured sites; grass being available and secured for community use 295 0 202 161 -68 equivalent deficit wickets only using 5 matches per grass wicket per season for grass wickets 68 match 3. All secured site; grass As above, but including non-turf pitches, with an 295 0 202 161 -68 equivalent deficit and non-turf pitches assumed capacity of 60 matches per season for grass wickets Future Analysis (2033) 152 match 4. All available sites; grass As per scenario 1, but including the projected 340 0 267 226 -152 equivalent deficit wickets- FUTURE analysis growth in demand, as per Table 4.7 and 4.8 for grass wickets 197 match 5. All secured sites; grass As above, but including the projected growth in 295 0 267 226 -197 equivalent deficit wickets - FUTURE analysis demand, as per Table 4.7 and 4.8 for grass wickets 6. All secured sites; grass 197 match As above, but including the projected growth in and non-turf wickets - 295 0 267 226 -197 equivalent deficit demand, as per Table 4.7 and 4.8 FUTURE analysis for grass wickets • For all sites that are available for community use, there is a deficit of grass cricket provision in the South sub-area • This worsens when only sites that are secured for community use are taken into consideration, with key sites such as Fives and Heronians CC not secured for long-term community use. • The future analysis for cricket supply and demand, including the future projected demand from latent and population driven demand, calculates that there is likely to be a significant deficit for cricket provision. This is caused by the large amount of cricket currently being played in the sub-area and the impact that this has on the future projections. It also reflects the group of large, well-run clubs that are continuing to grow and likely to have additional junior demand in the coming seasons.
Page 93 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
WEST SUB-AREA SUPPLY AND DEMAND ANALYSIS Table 4.13: Cricket supply and demand for West sub-area Community use demand Capacity – Capacity – Commentary (all (matches + training in Balance Scenario Name Notes grass non-turf figures quoted match equivalents) pitches pitches per season) Adult Junior Total Current Analysis (2017) This includes all cricket sites that are confirmed as 31 match 1. All available sites; grass being available for community use using 5 230 0 141 58 31 equivalents of wickets only matches per grass wicket per season spare capacity This includes all cricket sites that are confirmed as 59 match 2. All secured sites; grass being available and secured for community use 140 0 141 58 -59 equivalent deficit wickets only using 5 matches per grass wicket per season for grass wickets 59 match 3. All secured site; grass As above, but including non-turf pitches, with an 140 0 141 58 -59 equivalent deficit and non-turf pitches assumed capacity of 60 matches per season for grass wickets Future Analysis (2033) 4. All available sites; grass As per scenario 1, but including the projected 28 match 230 0 183 75 -28 wickets- FUTURE analysis growth in demand, as per Table 4.7 and 4.8 equivalent deficit 5. All secured sites; grass As above, but including the projected growth in 28 match 140 0 183 75 -28 wickets - FUTURE analysis demand, as per Table 4.7 and 4.8 equivalent deficit 6. All secured sites; grass As above, but including the projected growth in 28 match and non-turf wickets - 140 0 183 75 -28 demand, as per Table 4.7 and 4.8 equivalent deficit FUTURE analysis • For all sites that are available for community use, there is spare capacity for grass cricket provision in the West sub-area • This changes significantly when considering only those sites that are secured for capacity balance showing a large deficit. This illustrates the reliance that clubs place on un-secured sites across the sub-area. • The future analysis projects that this deficit will worsen, which is contributed to by the lack of non-turf pitch capacity across the sub-area.
Page 94 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
PEAK TIME SUPPLY AND DEMAND ANALYSIS In line with the 2013 Sport England PPS guidance, this study has considered the total supply and demand for facilities, measured in match equivalents per week and per season. While this is a valuable measure of whether or not pitches are at capacity, underplayed or overplayed, the patterns of demand should also be considered when assessing whether there are sufficient facilities across the District. With this in mind, this section undertakes a peak time capacity analysis, to assess whether there are sufficient facilities during the periods that the greatest proportion of the population like to play cricket. This will indicate whether there are enough pitches to satisfy the demand where a large amount of cricket is played at the same time (e.g. are there enough grass cricket squares so that all adult teams can to play on Saturday afternoons?) The following assumptions on peak times have been developed, based on standard practice for competitive grass roots cricket
• Adult peak demand is assumed to be Saturday PM • Youth cricket peak demand is split between Saturday and Sunday AM A full methodology for calculating peak time capacity can be found in Technical Appendix B – Cricket Analysis. Table 4.14 provides an analysis of all sites across the District where formal cricket demand has been identified. For all relevant sites, it has been identified whether there is spare capacity during the peak period (highlighted green). It should be noted that where sites are at an overall deficit of capacity (highlighted red), it is assumed that there is not spare capacity during the peak period. It has also been assumed that all sites that are currently available for community use but have no formal demand identified, there will be spare capacity at the peak period. Conversely, all sites that are not available for community use are assumed to have no spare capacity at the period of peak demand.
Table 4.14: Peak time supply and demand analysis – Cricket grass squares
No of Sub Site Name Cricket Availability Peak Time Commentary area Squares No spare capacity in the peak Abridge Cricket Club East 1 Available period Buckhurst Hill Cricket No spare capacity in the peak South 1 Available and Lacrosse Club period Buckhurst Hill Cricket No spare capacity in the peak South 1 Available Club period No spare capacity in the peak Buxton Playing Field East 1 Available period Not No spare capacity in the peak Chigwell School South 4 Available period 0.5 match equivalents spare Coopersale Cricket Club West 1 Available capacity in the peak period Davenant Foundation Not No spare capacity in the peak South 1 School Available period No spare capacity in the peak Epping Cricket Club West 1 Available period Epping Foresters No spare capacity in the peak West 1 Available Cricket Club period Fives and Heronians No spare capacity in the peak South 1 Available Cricket Club period
Page 95 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
No of Sub Site Name Cricket Availability Peak Time Commentary area Squares Fyfield Sports and 0.5 match equivalents spare East 1 Available Social Club capacity in the peak period Hereward Primary Not No spare capacity in the peak South 1 School Available period 0.5 match equivalents spare High Beach Cricket Club West 1 Available capacity in the peak period 0.5 match equivalents spare Jubilee Park Pavilion East 1 Available capacity in the peak period Larsens Recreation No spare capacity in the peak West 1 Available Ground period No spare capacity in the peak Loughton Cricket Club South 1 Available period Matching Green Cricket No spare capacity in the peak Harlow 1 Available Club period No spare capacity in the peak Memorial Playing Fields East 1 Available period Metropolitan Police No spare capacity in the peak South 1 Available (Chigwell Sports Club) period No spare capacity in the peak Nazeing Common Harlow 1 Available period 0.5 match equivalents spare Old Chigwellians Club South 1 Available capacity in the peak period No spare capacity in the peak Queens Head Meadow Harlow 1 Available period Roding Valley Cricket No spare capacity in the peak South 1 Available Club period Roding Valley High Not No spare capacity in the peak South 1 School Available period 0.5 match equivalents spare Roydon Playing Fields Harlow 1 Available capacity in the peak period South Loughton Cricket No spare capacity in the peak West 1 Available Club period No spare capacity in the peak Townmead Leisure Park West 1 Available period 0.5 match equivalents spare Willingale Cricket Club East 1 Available capacity in the peak period Table 4.15 below summarises this information and shows the total spare capacity during the peak period for each of the four sub-area.
Table 4.15: Peak period spare capacity by sub-area Sub-area Total spare capacity in the peak period East 1.5 Harlow 0.5 South 1.5 West 3 Table 4.15 illustrates that there is very little spare capacity for available cricket sites in the peak period, which limits future growth of clubs and does not allow site operators and management team to increase the amount of cricket played on a weekly basis. This will be considered alongside the total supply and demand analysis when providing recommendations on future cricket facility provision across the District.
Page 96 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Site by Site summary – Sites for Protection, Enhancement and Provision To ensure that the Playing Pitch Strategy meets the requirements of the Epping Forest District Council LPSV review and can be seen as a robust evidence base, the site- by-site assessment below includes all cricket site that have been included within the study. The site-by-site assessment provides a justification of how each of these sites should be protected, enhanced or further provided for, in line with the National Planning Policy Framework paragraph 73 and 749. Additionally, this table serves to summarise the key parts of the PPS assessment that have been identified so far within this sport specific section.
Table 4.16: Site by site summary for cricket provision in Epping Forest District Sub- Community Security Peak Period Justification for Protection (PR), Enhancement (E) or Site Squares Ownership Total Capacity area Use of use Capacity Provision (PV) This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. PR This is a high-quality site with a good clubhouse, used by both Abridge Cricket Club and Loughton Cricket Club. Trees that encroach on the ground have been raised as an issue, along with damage to the clubhouse through No spare The site is vandalism and local crime. Further engagement is required capacity in E Abridge currently at with EFDC to agree a long-term strategy for dealing with East 1 Available Secured Sports Club the peak Cricket Club capacity for grass the trees, either through removal or more frequent period any wickets maintenance. pitch typology No further required provision has been identified as part of the study. The club does not have any junior teams and PV therefore the benefit of a new non-turf pitch wicket on the square would be minimal. No capacity issues have been raised as part of the consultation. This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. This is a high quality site used by the 1st and 2nd XI of PR Buckhurst Hill CC, as well as for junior and other club cricket. Buckhurst This site is No spare This site has recently had new sight screens and has high Hill Cricket currently over Epping capacity in quality net, ancillary and changing facilities. The site can and capacity for grass South 1 Available Secured Forest DC the peak suffer from flooding and has been damaged twice in the Lacrosse wickets E /Sports Club period any last two years. Further consultation is required with the Club (Roding 5 matches deficit pitch typology ECB and EFDC as to how this risk can be mitigated in the Lane) per season future. The site currently has a deficit of supply, with a potential PV solution being the installation of a non-turf pitch on the existing square, to be used for training and junior matches.
9 Further information on NPPF provided in Section 2 – Strategic Context
Page 97 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Sub- Community Security Peak Period Justification for Protection (PR), Enhancement (E) or Site Squares Ownership Total Capacity area Use of use Capacity Provision (PV) This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. This is a high quality site 3rd, 4th and 5th XI of Buckhurst Hill CC, as well as for junior and other club cricket. If This site is PR further provision was to be provided at the Buckhurst Hill currently under No spare Buckhurst Cricket and Lacrosse Club site (Roding Lane), which met capacity for grass capacity in Hill Cricket Corporation the future needs of the club, this site may be able to be re- South 1 Available Secured wickets the peak Club (High of London designated as open space or for alternative uses. 20 matches spare period any Road) No further enhancement has been identified as part of this capacity per pitch typology E study. This is a high quality ground given the standard of season cricket that is typically played at the club. No further required provision has been identified as part of PV the study. This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. This is a high quality site used by Theydon Bois CC. The PR cricket club is one of the users on the multi-sport site, This site is which has a clubhouse open 5 days a week all year. currently under No spare The site has recently (2015) refurbished its changing capacity for grass capacity in rooms, with funding allocated from the ECB, Section 106 Buxton East 1 Available Secured Other wickets the peak and local fundraising). No further enhancement has been Playing Field E 5 matches spare period any identified as part of this study. The club is struggling for capacity per pitch typology numbers and has a declining membership, which season represents a high priority issue than facility development. No further enhancement has been identified as part of this PV study. This is a high quality ground with spare capacity identified for formal cricket during the season. This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. This is a high quality cricket site that is partially available This site is for community use. The site is used for Essex CC junior No spare PR currently under age groups and limited club demand by Loughton CC, capacity in Chigwell Partially capacity for grass however this is not regular demand and is included as ad- South 1 Unsecured Private the peak School Available wickets hoc demand within the site capacity analysis. period any Site not available No further enhancement has been identified as part of this pitch typology E for community use study. No further required provision has been identified as part of PV the study. This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. This site is 0.5 match PR The site is used by Coopersale Cricket Club, which is a currently under equivalents one-team club playing largely social cricket. capacity for grass of spare Coopersale Corporation The club did not respond to requests to take part in this West 1 Available Secured wickets capacity for Cricket Club of London study, however site assessments indicated that ancillary 35 matches spare adult cricket E facilities at the ground require significant improvement, as capacity per in the peak well as support to reduce vandalism and anti-social season period. behaviour at the site. Further consultation should be
Page 98 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Sub- Community Security Peak Period Justification for Protection (PR), Enhancement (E) or Site Squares Ownership Total Capacity area Use of use Capacity Provision (PV) undertaken between the home club and the ECB to confirm whether investment into the ancillary facility would have a significant impact on the everyday running of the club. No further required provision has been identified as part of PV the study. This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. The site is owned and used predominantly by the School, who utilise the non-turf pitch for after-school matches and This site is PR No spare minimal curriculum cricket. currently over Davenant capacity in The site is also used by Loughton Cricket Club, which has Academy capacity for grass Foundation South 1 Not Available Unsecured the peak a lease that is due to finish in April 2018. Trust wickets School period any No further enhancement has been identified as part of the 9 matches deficit pitch typology E study. It is recommended that the club is supported in its per season attempts to secure a long-term lease at the school site. No further required provision has been identified as part of PV the study. This site is This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. currently under No spare PR This is a standard quality site that is used by Epping Copper Hall capacity for grass capacity in Cricket Club. Epping West 1 Available Secured Estate wickets the peak No further enhancement has been identified as part of the Cricket Club E (Private) 25 matches spare period any study. capacity per pitch typology No further required provision has been identified as part of PV season the study. This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. The site is well used by Epping Foresters CC, which runs a PR total of 8 teams. The club currently rents its ground from the Corporation of London and undertakes maintenance using club volunteers. This site is No spare The quality of the pitch was rated as good, however the currently over Epping capacity in site struggles with deer and rabbits, which cause damage Corporation capacity for grass Foresters West 1 Available Unsecured the peak E to the outfield and square. Further consultation with the of London wickets Cricket Club period any ECB and Essex CCB should be sought to address these 28 matches deficit pitch typology issues. per season The club currently has a significant deficit of provision for grass pitches, with a large amount of demand for junior PV cricket. The site does not currently have a non-turf pitch on the square, therefore NTP provision should be explored, to reduce the level of demand on the grass square. Fives and This site is No spare This is a high quality site that is used by the Fives and Heronians South 1 Available Unsecured Private currently over capacity in PR Heronians 1st and 2nd XI's. The site is owned by a private Cricket Club capacity for grass the peak landholder and the club has only 2 years remaining on its
Page 99 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Sub- Community Security Peak Period Justification for Protection (PR), Enhancement (E) or Site Squares Ownership Total Capacity area Use of use Capacity Provision (PV) wickets period any lease. The club has an excellent relationship with the 20 matches deficit pitch typology freeholder however the lack of security of tenure is a per season concern, No further enhancement has been identified as part of the E study. The club has undertaken improvement works and carries out maintenance through a paid groundsman. No further required provision has been identified as part of PV the study. This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. The site is home to a small club with one Sunday team and a small junior section. The club has recently been PR evicted from the village hall that they have previously used as an ancillary facility. The long-term viability of the site is This site is 0.5 match an issue, as the Parish Council now undertake the currently under equivalents maintenance of the site, which is no longer fit for purpose. Fyfield capacity for grass of spare Grounds maintenance at the site is not currently fit for Fyfield Parish Sports and East 1 Available Secured wickets capacity for purpose and a more robust maintenance regime is Council Social Club 36 matches spare adult cricket required. capacity per in the peak The cricket club now has shared use of the ancillary E season period. facility, which is maintained and operated by the Parish Council. If this is to be operated successfully, the village hall requires refurbishment to ensure that it is fit for purpose as a multi-sport local community facility. No further required provision has been identified as part of PV the study. This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. This site is No spare PR This is an education site that is not used by the currently under Hereward capacity in community. capacity for grass Primary South 1 Not Available Secured LEA the peak No further enhancement has been identified as part of the wickets E School period any study. Site not available pitch typology No further required provision has been identified as part of for community use PV the study. This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. The site is privately owned and used by High Beach This site is 0.5 match Cricket Club, which is a one-team club playing mostly currently under equivalents PR 'social' cricket. The lack of security of tenure for the cricket capacity for grass of spare High Beach club is an issue and represents a risk for the future West 1 Available Unsecured Private wickets capacity for Cricket Club provision of cricket facilities in the area. 20 matches spare adult cricket The clubhouse is dated but in acceptable condition given capacity per in the peak E the level of demand for cricket at the site. season period. The maintenance regime is currently undertaken by the PV club however volunteers do not have fit for purpose
Page 100 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Sub- Community Security Peak Period Justification for Protection (PR), Enhancement (E) or Site Squares Ownership Total Capacity area Use of use Capacity Provision (PV) machinery to do this effectively. Access to fit for purpose machinery and equipment should be sought, through a shared equipment pool or provision to the club. This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. The site is owned and maintained by the Local Town PR Council and is of good quality. The site is used by Ongar This site is 0.5 match CC, which is a one-team club playing mainly 'social' cricket currently under equivalents No further enhancement has been identified as part of the capacity for grass of spare Jubilee Park Ongar Town study. The club will be responsible for the site from East 1 Available Secured wickets capacity for Pavilion Council October 2017 onwards, therefore support should be 40 matches spare adult cricket E provided by the ECB and Essex CCB to provide advice capacity per in the peak and maintenance equipment where required, to ensure season period. that the site remains as high quality cricket provision. No further required provision has been identified as part of PV the study. This site has been identified as a disused cricket site, that is no longer maintained for formal competitive cricket. This site is deemed not to be required for the future provision of No spare PR cricket in Epping Forest, however if sites are to be lost Larsens The site is not capacity in Parish across the rest of the District, this site represents an Recreation West 1 Available Secured currently used for the peak Council opportunity for supply to re-located. Ground cricket period any No further enhancement has been identified as part of the pitch typology E study. No further required provision has been identified as part of PV the study. This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. This is a high quality site with excellent grass wickets and PR ancillary provision, which is one of the major cricket facilities in the District. The club has faced issues with balls being hit out of ground, risking damage to nearby buildings. More robust This site is netting is needed, which is likely require further feasibility No spare E currently over work from specialist technical organisations. capacity in Loughton capacity for grass The club employs two groundsmen and the facility is of a South 1 Available Secured Sports Club the peak Cricket Club wickets high quality as a result. period any 70 matches deficit The site currently shows a significant deficit of provision, pitch typology per season which is caused by the large junior section currently using the site. There are currently no non-turf pitches on the square and further consultation is required with the club to PV identify whether this would help reduce the deficit of provision. If this approach is deemed to be appropriate, support should be sought from the ECB, Essex CCB and Loughton Town Council to install a non-turf pitch on site.
Page 101 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Sub- Community Security Peak Period Justification for Protection (PR), Enhancement (E) or Site Squares Ownership Total Capacity area Use of use Capacity Provision (PV) This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. This site is PR The site is well used by Matching Green CC, who run 4 currently under No spare senior men’s teams and a junior team. Matching capacity for grass capacity in No immediate enhancement has been identified as being Green Harlow 1 Available Secured Sports Club wickets the peak required as part of the study, however long term facility E Cricket Club 12 matches spare period any improvement projects should focus on internal work to the capacity per pitch typology second floor of the pavilion. season No further required provision has been identified as part of PV the study. This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. PR The site is home to North Weald CC, a small club with two adult teams and one junior team. The outfield on the site is currently maintained by an external contractor, with the square maintained by club This site is volunteers. The quality of the site was deemed to be currently under No spare standard on inspection, with outfield and grass-wickets Memorial capacity for grass capacity in identified as requiring improvement. The site also suffers Community E Playing East 1 Available Secured wickets the peak from vandalism and crime, leading to risks associated with Organisation Fields 5 matches spare period any storing high quality maintenance equipment on site. The capacity per pitch typology club requires further support to address these issues, season through the installation of surveillance or improvements to access security. Pending completion of the above action, improved maintenance equipment is required, to allow the volunteer PV maintenance team to deliver high quality cricket provision throughout the year. This site is This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. currently under No spare PR This is a high quality cricket site however it is used Metropolitan capacity for grass capacity in sparingly by the community for regular cricket use. Police Lord Mayors South 1 Available Secured wickets the peak No further enhancement has been identified as part of the (Chigwell Office E 40 matches spare period any study. Sports Club) capacity per pitch typology No further required provision has been identified as part of PV season the study. This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. This site is The site has a large square and is of standard quality. It is currently under No spare used by Nazeing Common CC, which has been recorded capacity for grass capacity in as running five adult male teams and one junior team. The Nazeing Harlow 1 Available Unsecured Private wickets the peak PR facility is owned by a private land holder and therefore the Common 46 matches spare period any club has little security of tenure. The club is looking to capacity per pitch typology secure funding for ancillary improvements however it will season not be possible to secure grants from Sport England or the ECB, given grant requirements.
Page 102 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Sub- Community Security Peak Period Justification for Protection (PR), Enhancement (E) or Site Squares Ownership Total Capacity area Use of use Capacity Provision (PV) The clubhouse and ancillary provision on site is not fit-for- E purpose (see below). The existing pavilion is of poor quality and needs to be replaced. Initial analysis by the club estimates a total re- PV build cost of approx. £300k, of which the club can fund 10%. Further security of tenure is required before funding for this provision is pursue by the club. This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. The site is used as a second ground by Fives and This site is 0.5 match Heronians CC, with the site identified as being of good currently under equivalents PR quality. The club does not have long-term security of Old capacity for grass of spare tenure on the site, as the school that operates the site also Chigwellians South 1 Available Secured Private wickets capacity for rents the facility to other clubs and users. Club 31 matches spare adult cricket No further enhancement has been identified as part of the capacity per in the peak E study. season period. No further required provision has been identified as part of PV the study. This site has been identified as a disused cricket site, that is no longer maintained for formal competitive cricket. This site is deemed not to be required for the future provision of No spare PR cricket in Epping Forest, however if sites are to be lost Queens The site is not capacity in across the rest of the District, this site represents an Head Harlow 1 Available Secured Sports Club currently used for the peak opportunity for supply to re-located. Meadow cricket period any No further enhancement has been identified as part of the pitch typology E study. No further required provision has been identified as part of PV the study. This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. The site is used as a main ground for Roding Valley PR Cricket Club, with the quality of the site identified as standard. The club currently has a 25 years lease on a site owned by the Town Council. The site is The site suffers from vandalism, with the nets being No spare currently at subject to arson 2 years ago (2015). Further support is Roding capacity in Epping capacity for grass required from the ECB, Essex CCB and EFDC to address Valley South 4 Available Secured the peak Forest DC wickets this. Cricket Club period any No spare capacity E The pitch is in good condition, with the square maintained pitch typology per season by the club and the outfield maintenance by the EFDC. A key issue for the site is that it currently sits on a flood plain, which floods once a year. The ancillary provision has also been recently refurbished, using funds raised by the club. The club has recently been granted permission to develop PV a new square on the neighbouring site, which should be
Page 103 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Sub- Community Security Peak Period Justification for Protection (PR), Enhancement (E) or Site Squares Ownership Total Capacity area Use of use Capacity Provision (PV) supported in order to address the current deficit for grass- pitches on the site. This development would require further feasibility work, to identify if a second site is pragmatic, given the ongoing flood risk. This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. The site is not currently used for community cricket however initial consultation with local clubs indicate that PR This site has the school could be used as a dedicated home ground for No spare artificial pitch a club in the future, if existing club facilities are not Roding capacity in provision and is sustainable. Valley High South 1 Not Available Unsecured LEA the peak not used for No further enhancement has been identified as part of the School period any community study, unless further feasibility analysis is undertaken and pitch typology E cricket the site is identified as a potential community cricket site in the future. No further required provision has been identified as part of PV the study. This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. This site is 0.5 match This site is a standard quality cricket site that is used by currently under equivalents PR Roydon CC, a one team club who play Sunday cricket and Roydon Roydon capacity for grass of spare occasionally mid-week games. Playing Harlow 1 Available Secured Playing wickets capacity for No further enhancement has been identified as part of the Fields Fields Trust 40 matches spare adult cricket E study. capacity per in the peak No further required provision has been identified as part of season period. PV the study. This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. This is a good quality site that is well used by South Loughton CC, which is a thriving club with an excellent junior programme and a strong club structure. Although the site was scored as good quality at the time of PR inspection, the site is on a flood plain and the buildings have previously suffered from vandalism. As a result, the This site is No spare cricket club are considering long-term plans to relocate to currently over South capacity in a site that can provide more sustainable facilities and Loughton capacity for grass Loughton South 1 Available Secured the peak support the club in growing further. Town Council wickets Cricket Club period any If the club are to stay at the current site, the existing 21 matches deficit pitch typology ancillary facility requires refurbishing. This is a project that per season E could lead to the development of a multi-sport hub site with a shared ancillary project, however this would require further consultation with partner NGB's. The site is currently at a deficit for cricket provision, which is contributed to by the large and well-run junior PV programme at the club. The site does not currently have a non-turf pitch and therefore junior matches take place on
Page 104 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Sub- Community Security Peak Period Justification for Protection (PR), Enhancement (E) or Site Squares Ownership Total Capacity area Use of use Capacity Provision (PV) the grass wickets. Installation of a high quality non-turf pitch at the site would help to address the deficit of provision, by reducing demand from junior cricket on the existing grass square. This site has been identified as a disused cricket site, that is no longer maintained for formal competitive cricket. This site is deemed not to be required for the future provision of No spare PR cricket in Epping Forest, however if sites are to be lost Waltham The site is not capacity in Townmead across the rest of the District, it is feasible that this site West 1 Available Secured Abbey Town currently used for the peak Leisure Park could be re-developed as a cricket facility. Council cricket period any No further enhancement has been identified as part of the pitch typology E study. No further required provision has been identified as part of PV the study. This site should be protected as playing fields in the LPSV. This site is 0.5 match The site is used as by Willingale Cricket Club and has currently under equivalents PR been identified as being good quality cricket facility that is Willingale capacity for grass of spare well maintained by club volunteers. The site has a non-turf Willingale East 2 Available Secured Parish wickets capacity for pitch that is used for training and occasional matchplay. Cricket Club Council 15 matches spare adult cricket No further enhancement has been identified as part of the E capacity per in the peak study. season period. No further required provision has been identified as part of PV the study.
Additional sites In addition to those sites identified as part of the site-by-site analysis above, the following sites are also currently (at the time of preparing this study) being invested in and will provide cricket facilities in the future;
• Ongar Academy: 1 x non-turf pitch for use by the educational establishment and for local community use. A community use agreement is currently being prepared and will be in placed prior to the start of the 2018 season.
Page 105 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Cricket Summary This section summarises the findings from the cricket analysis, which will form the basis of the recommendation and action plan section for Epping Forest District. Table 4.17 below includes the response to 5 key questions, which are asked for all PPS studies across the UK, in order to provide a standardised illustration of supply and demand for sports provision.
Table 4.17 – Key PPS findings for cricket in Epping Forest District Key Question Analysis The quality of cricket provision across the District is good with provision in What are the the East and South sub-areas scoring highly on assessment. The lowest main rated elements of cricket provision across the District are artificial wickets, characteristics which is reducing the ability of clubs to train and play on non-turf pitches of the current during the season. supply and The demand for cricket across Epping Forest District is high. The area has demand for 18 clubs, many of which have numerous senior and junior teams, playing at provision? dedicated facilities that are managed by the club. Due to the lack of security and certainty at a number of the larger sites, there Is there enough is not adequate accessible and secured provision for cricket. This is accessible and demonstrated most clearly in the South sub-area, but also in the West sub- secured area. While there is enough provision when all facilities that are available for community use community use are taken into consideration, the lack of security at a number provision to of high profile sites represents a key risk for cricket capacity in Epping Forest meet current District. There is limited capacity across the District in the peak period, which demand ensures that ever where there is spare capacity in the peak period, it may not be available at the times when it is required by residents. Overall, the provision is of good quality, with facilities in the South and East sub-areas scoring particularly highly. In contrast, the West sub-are does not Is the provision score as highly, with changing/pavilion facilities and artificial wickets (on the that is square) being unfit for purpose. accessible of Maintenance is largely undertaken by individual clubs, either through the use sufficient quality of a paid groundsman or through club volunteers. There are also a number and of sites that are owned and managed by the local town or parish council, appropriately which typically scored lower in the site assessment. maintained? Clubs have identified a need to improve practice net facilities and ancillary provision The future demand for cricket is projected to increase across the District, with the largest growth for youth cricket in the Harlow and South sub-areas. With the projected increase in demand from both population growth and conversion of latent demand, as well as the expected growth that will be realised following the success of All Stars Cricket, the increase in demand is What are the likely to have a significant impact on the level of demand for cricket across main Epping Forest District. characteristics The future level of supply across the District is uncertain due to a number of of the future reasons. A number of high profile sites are currently owned by private supply and landowners, which do not offer clubs long term security of tenure. Any demand for reduction in the level of supply for cricket in the District will have a significant provision impact on the overall balance of provision. Women’s cricket is a priority area for the ECB and although there are few women’s teams currently playing in the District, the number is expected to increase over the lifetime of the strategy. In turn, this will increase the future requirement for playing, practice and associated changing facilities for women and girls. Is there enough Given the high levels of demand growth projected across the District, the accessible and future supply and demand analysis indicates that there will be a significant secured deficit of supply for sites that are available and secured across Epping Forest community use District. This deficit is at its highest in the South and West sub-area, with the provision to situation worsened by the lack of non-turf pitch capacity across cricket sites meet future in these areas. demand
Page 106 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Rugby Union
Introduction and Strategic Context The Rugby Football Union (RFU) is the national governing body responsible for grassroots and elite rugby in England, with the season operating from September to April.
RFU STRATEGIC PLAN (2017-2021) In October 2017, the RFU published its strategic plan, with the overall objective of being England’s strongest sport, underpinned by good governance and regulation, as well as increased investment in the game to drive elite performance and community participation10. The following key areas of focus are particularly relevant for this strategy;
• Protect our clubs: Support clubs to protect themselves against risks to sustainability in the key areas of leadership, facilities and finances. Support clubs to meet all their statutory and regulatory obligations • Expand places to play through Artificial Grass Pitches: Install and manage strategically placed Artificial Grass Pitches (AGP’s) nationwide, increasing playing opportunities for the 15-a-side game and other variants in communities where natural turf pitches are significantly overused. Improve access to rugby in non-traditional and urban areas • Engage new communities in rugby: Increase female player numbers, with more teams and matches, expansion in the education environment and transitioning more players to clubs • Grow the grass-roots game: Increase the number of active male and female (14+) 15-a-side teams by 10%. Increase the number of 15-a-side matches played by 20%. Increase the number of active rugby union players by 10%. The objectives and targets of the RFU will be referenced throughout this strategy and utilised to prioritise facility development projects as part of the recommendations and action plan section.
ENGLAND RUGBY WOMEN AND GIRLS ACTION PLAN (2017-2021) As part of the four-year strategic plan summarised above, England Rugby has launched the women and girls action plan for the next four years. The plan recognises the significant growth in the female game over the last four years and sets out a plan for the next four years to continue to grow the number of women and girls engaging in rugby. There are currently 512 women and girls teams in England and 27,500 existing players, however by 2021 England Rugby wants to growth these numbers, engaging 100,000 females in rugby and converting 25,000 of those into new players. This is particularly relevant for the Epping Forest District Playing Pitch Strategy as this growth is forecast to increase the number of active adult teams by 350. It is key that the future supply and demand analysis considers this growth and provides appropriate facilities and opportunities for women and girls to play rugby at clubs across Epping Forest District
10 RFU Strategic Plan (http://www.englandrugby.com/about-the-rfu/rfu-strategic-plan/”: 2017)
Page 107 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
RFU FACILITIES STRATEGY (2014-2018) The RFU published its Facility Strategy (2014) for the next four years11. The strategy includes the following relevant objectives and priorities relevant to the PPS:
• The core aims of the RFU are to create effective and efficient facilities, management and governance along with community integration • Facility priorities include improving changing provision, natural turf pitch quality, AGPs and floodlighting for both matches and training. These affect commercial opportunities within community clubs.
Supply
QUANTITY OVERVIEW There are eight sites in Epping Forest District that have rugby provision, with five of these sites available for community rugby usage. The ownership of the seven rugby sites across the study area is shown in Table 5.1.
Table 5.1: Ownership of rugby pitches in Epping Forest District Number of pitches Ownership Senior Junior / Minis Education 4 2 Private 1 5 Club 4 3 Local authority 5 4 Map 5.1 shows the geographic location of the rugby pitches across the study area and illustrates that the current supply is predominately in the South sub-area and East sub-area. The largest club in the area is located near the boundary with Harlow in the West sub-area.
11 RFU National Facility Strategy (http://goo.gl/m6kqms: 2014)
Page 108 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Figure 5.1 – Rugby pitch audit in Epping Forest District
Page 109 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Table 5.2 provides a breakdown of the rugby sites in Epping Forest District, the majority of which are available for community use but only three of which have security of tenure on their home ground site.
Table 5.2 – Rugby Site Breakdown of Security of Community Use Playing Pitch Sites Sub Community Secured Ownership Area Use on Site Community Use Debden Park High School South Not available Unsecured Academy Trust Epping Upper Clapton RFC West Available Secured Sports Club Jubilee Park Pavilion Ongar Town East Available Unsecured* (Ongar RFC) Council King Harold Business and West Not available Unsecured Academy Trust Enterprise Academy Ongar Academy (Ongar East Available Secured Academy Trust Leisure Centre) Local Roding Valley High School South Available Unsecured Education Authority Loughton Rugby Club South Available Secured EFDC Roding Valley Playing South Available Secured EFDC Fields South
QUALITY ASSESSMENT Each site was visited and assessed by 4 global using non-technical assessments as determined by the RFU. The methodology for assessing rugby pitch quality analyses two key elements; the maintenance programme and level of drainage. Further detail on this process can be seen in the Technical Appendix C – Rugby Union Analysis. Each pitch is scored and classified in one of three categories. These represent actions required to improve site quality. A breakdown for each of the two scoring elements and three respective categories is provided in the following two tables.
Table 5.3 – Rugby pitch maintenance quality assessment specifications. Source: RFU PPS Guidance Category Overall Quality Rating MO Action requires significant improvements to the maintenance programme M1 Action requires minor improvements to the maintenance programme M2 Action requires no improvements to the maintenance programme Table 5.4 – Rugby pitch drainage quality assessment specifications. Source: RFU PPS Guidance Category Overall Quality Rating DO Action on pipe draining system is needed on pitch D1 Action on silt drainage system is needed on pitch D2 No action is needed on pitch drainage These scores are then combined to provide a match equivalent capacity, as calculated in Table 5.5 below. Depending on the score of a site, a pitch is assigned a certain carrying capacity which can then be used to calculate the overall capacity of a site.
Table 5.5 – Match equivalent calculation for rugby pitches. Source: Appendices 4a to 4c – Rugby Football Union12 Maintenance Drainage Poor (MO) Standard (M1) Good (M2) Natural Inadequate (DO) 0.5 1.5 2 Natural Adequate (D1) 1.5 2 3 Pipe Drained (D2) 1.75 2.5 3.25 Pipe and Slit Drained (D3) 2 3 3.5
12 Sport England PPS Guidance – RFU Appendices (http://goo.gl/em3wyj: 2015)
Page 110 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Table 5.6 summarises the quality assessment results for those sites currently used by the community. Full details of the subsequent carrying capacity allocations of each site by pitch type can be found in Technical Appendix C – Rugby Analysis.
Table 5.6 – Quality summary by pitch type Maintenance Drainage Poor (M0) Standard (M1) Good (M2) Natural Inadequate (D0) 8 0 0 Natural Adequate (D1) 1 0 0 Pipe Drained (D2) 5 0 0 Pipe and Slit Drained (D3) 0 0 0 In terms of maintenance, all pitches across Epping Forest District into the category of poor, meaning that significant requirement improvements are needed for the maintenance programme. To compound this, the majority of pitches (57%) are deemed to have natural guidance (no artificial infrastructure) which is inadequate given the needs of residents. Epping Forest District does have 5 pitches that have artificial drainage, located at Jubilee Park, King Harold Academy and Ongar Academy, however only Jubilee Park is available for community use and it does not have long term security of use for rugby. Even with the lack of maintenance and drainage infrastructure, Epping Upper Clapton RFC represents the only site in the District that is fit for purpose for rugby union. The three senior pitches were in good condition on assessment, even in heavy and wet weather. Consultation has identified, however, that drainage is an issue for the grass pitches, which is reduced to an extent by the use of the WR22 training area.
Current Demand
CURRENT DEMAND Through the demand consultations with clubs, four clubs have been identified as playing in Epping Forest District. Utilising survey responses and desktop research, table 5.7 provides the team profiles of all clubs playing in Epping Forest District. It should be noted that one of these clubs represents imported demand from outside of the District.
Table 5.7 – Rugby club profiles for responding clubs. Source: PPS club consultations No. of competitive teams Club Sub Area Jnr (U13- Mini Total Mens Ladies 17) (U7-12) Epping Upper Clapton RFC West 3 0 4 6 13 Loughton RFC South 1 0 0 0 1 Ongar RFC* East 1 0 3 4 10 Woodford RFC** South 1 0 1 0 1 Total 6 0 8 10 25 *Club failed to respond to 4 global survey. Team profile obtained from club website **Club located in LB Waltham Forest, with demand exported to Epping Forest District Two of the rugby clubs playing in the local authority responded to the PPS survey and were consulted with as part of the demand gathering process, with the consultation providing the following findings.
Page 111 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Table 5.8: Summary of demand consultations from rugby clubs in Epping Forest District Club Consultation Summary A large rugby club with 3 senior teams and youth teams ranging from under 5 to under 19. The home ground for the club is situated at the Epping Upper Rugby Club. Epping Upper With participation at the club rising, the club’s main priority is to obtain an artificial pitch Clapton RFC for training and matches. The club loses approximately 8 weeks of rugby every year due to issues with waterlogging, which has an impact on their revenues. The club has updated their clubhouse over the last few years with support from the RFU. A small club with one adult team, the club has recently updated the clubhouse, which is now of adequate quality, however they still don’t have any heating in the facility due Loughton to a lack of resources. The clubhouse itself is owned by the members, however, they RFC lease the pitches on a 5-year lease from EFDC. The pitches at the site are poor quality and one pitch has been unplayable for over 10 years. The club aspire to have another team but as a result of only having one playable pitch this is not feasible. Further detail on the demand consultations and data collection can be seen in Technical Appendix C – Rugby Analysis
IMPORTED AND EXPORTED DEMAND Through consultation with clubs located both inside and outside of the District, the following demand has been identified as being either imported or exported.
• Demand from 1 adult team and 1 junior team from Woodford RFC in neighbouring LB Waltham Forest currently play at Roding Valley Playing Fields, due to a shortage of adequate facilities within LB Waltham Forest. This demand has been included in the Epping Forest District Supply and Demand Analysis • Demand for women and girl’s rugby is exported to Harlow RFC in neighbouring Harlow local authority, as this is the only club that has a female ‘offer’ in the area. It is not possible to quantify the level of demand that is being exported however it is likely that this would be brought back into the District if an existing club starts a senior or junior female team.
Future Demand
FUTURE DEMAND DRIVEN BY POPULATION GROWTH In order to calculate the future demand for rugby in Epping Forest District, a Team Generation Rate13 has been calculated using the current number of teams and the current population. This measure allows us to calculate what size of population (for various age groups) will typically cause enough demand for a rugby team. This Team Generation Rate can now be applied to the population projections for the study area to confirm how population growth or reduction will affect the demand for teams in each of the key age groups. Team generation rates have been provided at a District level, as the projected growth is not meaningful when split down further into a sub-area analysis. Table 5.9 shows the TGR calculations for Epping Forest District. Based on future population projections a total of 5 additional rugby teams will be generated by 2033.
13 The Team Generation Rate calculation uses the current number of teams and the current population to calculate a proxy measure of the number of total residents per relevant sports team. This measure is therefore applied to the projected population (depending on the length of the strategy) to predict how many additional teams will be required in order to satisfy the demand from the ‘new’ population.
Page 112 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Table 5.9 – Future demand projections for rugby teams in Epping Forest District Number of teams Current population Future population in Population Potential Change in Current Sport and Age Groups in age group in age group within age group within the Change in Team Numbers in TGR within the area the area area Age Group Age Group Rugby Union Senior Men (19-45yrs) 6 21005 23190 2626 2185 1 Rugby Union Senior Women (19-45yrs) 0 22238 24026 n/a 1788 1* Rugby Union Youth Boys (13-18yrs) 7 4216 5464 602 1248 2 Rugby Union Youth Girls (13-18yrs) 0 4151 5274 n/a 1122 1* Rugby Union Mini/Midi Mixed (7-12yrs) 10 9154 11211 915 2057 2 Table 5.9 illustrates that the number of projected demand for rugby teams across the District is likely to increase for mini/midi rugby (2 teams) and junior rugby (2 teams) between 2016 and 2033). Additionally, there is a projected growth in demand for one male adult team across the District, leading to a total of 5 additional teams being required to satisfy future demand. There is currently one senior rugby team playing in Epping Forest District, which ensures that the model does not project an additional team is required to meet future demand. It should be noted, however, that one the RFU’s key strategic objectives is to increase female participation, with potential investment leading to a growth in demand. An analysis of latent demand will be undertaken in the following section to assess whether future female provision should be planned for. It is important to note that this calculation assumes that clubs, the Council and the RFU do not improve their marketing or participation schemes over the period and are therefore no more successful than they are now in attracting new players to participate in rugby in in the study area. In reality, it is expected that there will be improved channels of digital communication and improved maintenance technology, as well as higher quality ancillary provision. The output of this will be a higher quality and an improved ability to generate demand and convert it into participation.
GROWTH OF FEMALE RUGBY The * in the potential changes in team numbers column indicates projected growth that has been added for women and girl’s rugby following consultation with the RFU and Sport England. As there is no existing team demand for women’s rugby in Epping Forest District, and future growth is calculated using a ratio of future growth to existing team numbers, the projected growth is projected to be 0. Given the strategic priority of England Rugby (RFU) to increase women and girl’s rugby across the country, a projected increase of one senior women’s team and one junior girls team has been added to the future growth projections, which aligns to the overall target of increasing team numbers by 350 across England over the next four years. This growth will be considered in the future supply and demand analysis for Rugby in the District.
Page 113 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
FUTURE DEMAND DRIVEN BY LATENT DEMAND While a large amount of future demand will be driven by population growth, it is also likely that clubs and operators are successful in converting latent demand into actual demand, therefore increasing the number of people playing rugby. The table below identifies latent demand (not currently active), which clubs are aiming to convert into rugby demand within the next 3 - 5 years. This provides an estimation of the number of new teams that will be required in Epping Forest District, in addition to the teams generated by population growth. Table 5.10 illustrates that only one additional team has been projected as part of the latent demand calculations, which has been allocated to the west sub-area. This latent demand will be combined with the projected increase in demand generated from population growth and incorporated into the future supply and demand analysis for rugby union provision.
Table 5.10: Latent demand for rugby by sub-area Rugby Union Latent Demand Sub-area Adult Male Adult Female Junior Mini/Midi Total East 0 0 0 0 0 South 0 0 0 0 0 West 1 0 0 0 1 Total 1 0 0 0 1
Supply and Demand Balance
OVERPLAY AND SPARE CAPACITY To calculate whether there is any total spare capacity at rugby sites in Epping Forest District, Table 5.11 shows the supply and demand figures across the six sites that are available for community rugby use. This table demonstrates the sites that are currently being overplayed, as well as those that have spare capacity for grass pitch provision.
Table 5.11: Supply and Demand Balance by Site Demand (matches + Overplay Supply training in match Site Name Pitch type Quantity or Spare (Capacity) equivalents) Capacity SNR JNR Epping Upper Senior Rugby 3 4.0* 1.5 4.5 -2 Clapton Union RFC Jubilee Park Senior Rugby 1 1.75 0.5 3.5 -2.25 Pavilion Union Loughton Senior Rugby 2 1 1 0 0 Rugby Club Union Ongar Senior Rugby 2 4 0 0 4 Academy Union Roding Valley Senior Rugby 2 1 1* 1** -1 Playing Union Fields South Roding Senior Rugby Valley High 1 1.5 0 0 1.5 Union School * Figures for Epping Upper Clapton RFC adjusted following consultation with RFU, to account for small sided AGP on site **Demand imported from neighbouring local authority – Woodford RFC
Page 114 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
As shown in Table 5.11, three of the sites that are currently used for rugby are over-capacity, with the level of overplay being particularly high at Epping Upper Clapton RFC and Jubilee Park Pavilion. This is caused by the two home clubs having consistent junior and senior demand, leading to the overplay of poor quality grass provision, which has a low carrying capacity due to poor maintenance and insufficient drainage infrastructure. Although there are three sites that are not available for community rugby use, these have not been taken into consideration for the overall balance of rugby in the study area. This is influenced by the RFU national strategy to focus on the provision located at club sites. The RFU believe that this provides a more enjoyable rugby experience and is more likely to assist in retaining players across all age groups.
PEAK PERIOD SUPPLY AND DEMAND To assess the availability of rugby facilities at peak times, it has been assumed that the period of highest demand for rugby matches is on a Saturday afternoon for adults and Sunday morning for mini and youth rugby. It is also assumed that juniors play on adult match pitches (there are no designated junior pitches in the District), with all mini teams requiring half a pitch and youth teams requiring a full pitch.
Table 5.12: Peak period capacity for senior and youth/mini rugby provision Adult Pitch Match Sub Site Name Supply equivalent Commentary area (Sat PM) demand Epping Upper 1.5 match equivalents spare West 3 1.5 Clapton RFC capacity in the peak period 0.5 match equivalents spare Jubilee Park Pavilion East 1 0.5 capacity in the peak period Loughton Rugby 1.5 match equivalents spare South 2 0.5 Club capacity in the peak period Roding Valley 1.5 match equivalents spare South 2 0.5 Playing Fields South capacity in the peak period Roding Valley High 1 match equivalents spare South 1 0 School capacity in the peak period 2 match equivalents spare Ongar Academy East 2 0 capacity in the peak period Junior (Sun AM) Epping Upper No spare capacity in the peak West 6 10 Clapton RFC period 1 match equivalents spare Jubilee Park Pavilion East 2 0 capacity in the peak period Loughton Rugby No spare capacity in the peak South 4 7 Club period Roding Valley 2 match equivalents spare South 4 0 Playing Fields South capacity in the peak period Roding Valley High 1 match equivalents spare South 2 0 School capacity in the peak period 4 match equivalents spare Ongar Academy East 4 0 capacity in the peak period Table 5.12 indicates that all sites have spare capacity during the peak period for adult rugby provision, which indicates that the deficit of total supply identified in the following section is driven by poor pitch quality rather than a lack of pitches. On the other hand, two key sites (Epping Upper Clapton RFC and Loughton Rugby Club) currently have no spare capacity for junior demand in the peak period, which is caused by both clubs have active junior sections and a large amount of demand during the peak period on Sunday AM.
Page 115 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Scenario Testing The following section contains the summary capacity analysis for rugby in Epping Forest District, as well as for a number of relevant summaries, as requested by the RFU and the Sport England 2013 Playing Pitch Guidance. The scenario testing has been provided at a District-wide level, as well as being divided into the three sub areas and are displayed below. Each capacity analysis is accompanied by a commentary on the key findings from the data.
EPPING FOREST DISTRICT ANALYSIS Table 5.12: Summary capacity analysis and scenarios for rugby provision in Epping Forest District Community use demand (matches Capacity – grass Balance (Supply Scenario Name Notes + training in match equivalents) pitches minus demand) Adult Junior/mini Current Analysis (2017) All sites apart from Debden Park High 1. All rugby provision that is available for School, King Harold B&EA and Ongar 10.75 4 10 -0.25 community use Academy 2. All rugby provision that is secured for All secured sites 7.5 4 10 -3 community use 3. Rugby club sites with long term security of Only rugby club sites with long-term 2.5 4 10 -8 tenure only security of tenure Future Analysis (2033) 4. Future balance (including team growth) for all As per scenario 1, including projected 10.75 4.6 14.3 -4.7 provision available for community use growth in demand to 2033 5. Future balance (including team growth) for all As per scenario 2, including projected 7.5 4.6 14.3 -7.9 provision secured for community use growth in demand to 2033 6. Future balance (including team growth) for all As per scenario 3, including projected 2.5 4.6 14.3 -12.9 rugby club sites with long term security of tenure growth in demand to 2033 • There is a deficit of rugby provision across Epping Forest District, which means that there is more demand for facilities than there is supply • This deficit is severe when taking into consideration all sites that are available for community use, however it worsens when considering only those sites that are available for community use. The deficit is even greater when considering the scenario of rugby being played on rugby club sites with a long-term lease or ownership of the freehold. It is the long-term objective of the RFU to reduce the reliance on non-club rugby facilities, therefore this deficit represents a significant issue for the RFU and local rugby clubs • The future analysis indicates that this deficit will worsen over the lifetime of the strategy, when the projected increase in demand from population growth and latent demand is realised • The deficit is likely to impact the available of adequate matchplay facilities and training facilities, which supports the findings from club and RFU
Page 116 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
consultation
EAST SUB-AREA ANALYSIS Table 5.13: Summary capacity analysis and scenarios for rugby provision in the East sub-area Community use demand Capacity – (matches + training in match Balance (Supply Scenario Name Notes grass pitches equivalents) minus demand) Adult Junior/mini Current Analysis (2017) 1. All rugby provision that is available for All sites in the sub area apart from Ongar 5.8 0.5 3.5 1.8 community use Academy 2. All rugby provision that is secured for All secured sites 5.8 0.5 3.5 1.8 community use 3. Rugby club sites with long term security of Only rugby club sites with long-term security 0.0 0.5 3.5 -4.0 tenure only of tenure Future Analysis (2033) 4. Future balance (including team growth) for all As per scenario 1, including projected growth 5.8 0.6 5.0 0.2 provision available for community use in demand to 2033 5. Future balance (including team growth) for all As per scenario 2, including projected growth 5.8 0.6 5.0 0.2 provision secured for community use in demand to 2033 6. Future balance (including team growth) for all As per scenario 3, including projected growth 0.0 0.6 5.0 -5.6 rugby club sites with long term security of tenure in demand to 2033 • Available rugby provision in the East subarea is limited to Jubilee Park Pavilion, which is used by Ongar RFC. The analysis illustrates that there is a deficit of provision in the sub-area, which worsens when only sites that are considered to have secured community use are taken into consideration • With projected growth across adult and junior rugby, this deficit is projected to worsen over the lifetime of the strategy.
SOUTH SUB-AREA ANALYSIS Table 5.14: Summary capacity analysis and scenarios for rugby provision in the South sub-area Community use demand Capacity – (matches + training in match Balance (Supply Scenario Name Notes grass pitches equivalents) minus demand) Adult Junior/mini Current Analysis (2017) 1. All rugby provision that is available for All sites apart from Debden Park High School 3.5 2 1 0.5 community use and King Harold B&EA
Page 117 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Community use demand Capacity – (matches + training in match Balance (Supply Scenario Name Notes grass pitches equivalents) minus demand) Adult Junior/mini 2. All rugby provision that is secured for All secured sites 2 2 1 -1 community use 3. Rugby club sites with long term security of Only rugby club site with long-term security 1 2 1 -2 tenure only of tenure Future Analysis (2033) 4. Future balance (including team growth) for all As per scenario 1, including projected growth 3.5 2.3 1.0 0.2 provision available for community use in demand to 2033 5. Future balance (including team growth) for all As per scenario 2, including projected growth 2 2.3 1.0 -1.3 provision secured for community use in demand to 2033 6. Future balance (including team growth) for all As per scenario 3, including projected growth 1 2.3 1.0 -2.3 rugby club sites with long term security of tenure in demand to 2033 • Due to the amount of education provision in the South sub-area, the supply and demand analysis for all available sites shows a small amount of spare capacity for rugby provision • Given the lack of security at these education sites, this converts to a deficit when Scenario 2 is considered and only sites that are available for community use are included in the calculation • With a small amount of projected growth across adult and junior rugby, this deficit is projected to worsen slightly over the lifetime of the strategy. West sub-area Analysis Table 5.15: Summary capacity analysis and scenarios for rugby provision in the West sub-area Community use demand Capacity – (matches + training in match Balance (Supply Scenario Name Notes grass pitches equivalents) minus demand) Adult Junior/mini Current Analysis (2017) All sites apart from Debden Park High 1. All rugby provision that is available for School, King Harold B&EA and Ongar 1.5 1.5 5.5 -2 community use Academy 2. All rugby provision that is secured for All secured sites 1.5 1.5 5.5 -2 community use 3. Rugby club sites with long term security of Only rugby club site with long-term security 1.5 1.5 5.5 -2 tenure only of tenure Future Analysis (2033) 4. Future balance (including team growth) for all As per scenario 1, including projected growth 1.5 3 7 -4.2 provision available for community use in demand to 2033
Page 118 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Community use demand Capacity – (matches + training in match Balance (Supply Scenario Name Notes grass pitches equivalents) minus demand) Adult Junior/mini 5. Future balance (including team growth) for all As per scenario 2, including projected growth 1.5 3 7 -4.2 provision secured for community use in demand to 2033 6. Future balance (including team growth) for all As per scenario 3, including projected growth 1.5 3 7 -4.2 rugby club sites with long term security of tenure in demand to 2033 • The West sub-area only has one site with rugby provision that is available for community use, which is Epping Upper Clapton RFC. This site is also secured for community use, therefore the scenario testing to remove sites that are not secure does not have an impact on the overall supply and demand balance • The analysis indicates that the Epping Upper Clapton site is at a deficit of provision, which translates to the rest of the sub-area • This is projected to worsen over the lifetime of the strategy, with the small amount of additional demand that is projected to be realised • The balance for pitch provision does not currently include the small-sided WR22 provision at the Epping Upper Clapton site, as it not possible to apply an amount of capacity to this facility. Following consultation, it is apparent that this supports the capacity of the site for training but has little or no impact on the overall balance for matchplay. • It should be noted that all projected growth for female rugby has been allocated to the west sub-area, as it is assumed that demand will be met by Epping Upper Clapton Rugby Club, due to the existing club facility and workforce infrastructure.
HARLOW SUB-AREA ANALYSIS There are not currently any rugby clubs located in the Harlow sub-area, with all demand being satisfied by surrounding clubs, largely Epping Upper Clapton RFC in the neighbouring west sub-area. Given the significant population growth in the Harlow sub-area, through the Garden Town project, it is expected that demand for rugby will increase, in line with the projected demand increase identified for the other PPS sports. Given the large amount of infrastructure and demand required to start a rugby club from scratch, it is envisaged that this new demand will be satisfied by existing rugby clubs, namely Epping Upper Clapton RFC and Harlow Rugby Club in the neighbouring Harlow District. As a result, the additional demand generated by the new population growth has been allocated to the west sub-area for supply and demand analysis purposes, which in turn has led to a significant deficit of provision being identified. As a result, and to avoid ‘double-counting’ a rugby supply and demand analysis has not been undertaken for the Harlow sub-area. It should be noted that within the scenario testing section of this report, a basic need assessment of rugby provision for the Harlow development area will be undertaken, utilising Sport England’s New Development Calculator.
Page 119 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Site by Site Analysis - Protection, Enhancement and Provision To ensure that the Playing Pitch Strategy meets the requirements of the Epping Forest District Council LPSV review and can be seen as a robust evidence base, the site- by-site assessment below includes all rugby site that have been included within the study. The site-by-site assessment provides a justification of how each of these sites should be protected, enhanced or further provided for, in line with the National Planning Policy Framework paragraph 73 and 7414. Additionally, this table serves to summarise the key parts of the PPS assessment that have been identified so far within this sport specific section.
Table 5.16: Site –by-site summary for rugby provision in Epping Forest District Sub No. of Community Use Non-technical Balance (Total Site Name Justification for Protection (PR), Enhancement (E) or Provision (PV) Area Pitches Category Assessment Score Hrs) This site is This site should be protected in the LPSV. This is a school site that currently under PR is not available for community use, however it is used for Debden Park 0 adult capacity for curriculum and after-school rugby South Not available D0/M0 (Poor) High School 1 junior rugby provision E No further enhancement has been identified as part of this study. Site not available No further required provision has been identified as part of the PV for community use study. This site should be protected in the LPSV. This is a major rugby site for the local authority and is the home ground of Epping Upper Clapton RFC. The site has grass pitch provision and a WR22 compliant small sided AGP that is used for training purposes but is PR not large enough to meet the needs of the club. It is likely that this small sided will satisfy a small amount of the demands of the club, however it has not been possible to quantify this in the supply and This site is 3 adult demand analysis. currently over 0 junior The club is currently being impacted by a shortage of playing and capacity for Epping Upper 1 x training facilities, especially given the poor quality of their existing West Available D0/M0 (Poor) rugby provision Clapton RFC small grass pitches. Further technical analysis is required to identify 2 match sided E whether issues with the grass pitches are influenced by drainage equivalent deficit 3G AGP issues, insufficient maintenance or overplay. The club currently per week loses approximately 8 weeks of rugby every year due to issues with pitch capacity. The club is looking to pursue development or secure access to a WR22 3G AGP, which can be used for matchplay and training. PV Pending further analysis on the issues with grass pitch provision at the site, improving the capacity of the site through access to 3G AGP provision would be of significant benefit for the club.
14 Further information on NPPF provided in Section 2 – Strategic Context
Page 120 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Sub No. of Community Use Non-technical Balance (Total Site Name Justification for Protection (PR), Enhancement (E) or Provision (PV) Area Pitches Category Assessment Score Hrs) This site should be protected in the LPSV. This site is used as a home ground by Ongar RFC however due to the change in site This site is PR management from Town Council to Sports Trust, more currently over maintenance effort from volunteers is likely to be required in the Jubilee Park capacity for future. 1 adult Pavilion (Ongar East Available D2/M0 (Poor) rugby provision In line with the likely requirement for greater volunteer 0 junior RFC) 2.25 match maintenance work, support is required to ensure that the volunteer E equivalent deficit workforce have the equipment and knowledge to deliver a robust per week maintenance regime for the site. No further required provision has been identified as part of the PV study. This site is This site should be protected in the LPSV. This is a school site that King Harold currently under PR is not available for community use, however it is used for Business and 1 adult capacity for curriculum and after-school rugby West Not available D2/M0 (Poor) Enterprise 0 junior rugby provision E No further enhancement has been identified as part of this study. Academy Site not available No further required provision has been identified as part of the PV for community use study. This site should be protected in the LPSV. This site is used as a home ground by Loughton Rugby Club, with two poor pitches used PR by the single team club. The club has recently updated the The site is clubhouse, which is now of adequate quality, however there is still currently at a lack of heating in the building. Loughton 2 adult capacity for South Available D0/M0 (Poor) If demand for the site can be demonstrated by Loughton Rugby Rugby Club 0 junior rugby provision Club or nearby clubs, investment is required to improve the quality No spare capacity E of both pitches, especially the second pitch, which is frequently per season unplayable and used very little. No further required provision has been identified as part of the PV study. This site should be protected in the LPSV. This is a school site that is available for community use but is not currently used by local clubs, however it is used for curriculum and after-school rugby. This site is The site has recently (summer 2017) benefited from drainage currently under improvement works, which have been undertaken in parallel to Ongar Academy capacity for PR 2 adult wider site improvement works and the development of the new (Ongar Leisure East Available D1/M1 (Standard) rugby provision 0 junior Ongar Academy. This site will have an agreed Community Use Centre) 4 match Agreement, so facilitate the use of school facilities by community equivalent spare clubs, representing an opportunity to increase rugby pitch provision capacity per week in the District. In order for this site to be used for community use rugby, access to E a fit for purpose and high quality ancillary facility is required.
Page 121 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Sub No. of Community Use Non-technical Balance (Total Site Name Justification for Protection (PR), Enhancement (E) or Provision (PV) Area Pitches Category Assessment Score Hrs) Existing facilities at the school could be utilised, however it is key that these are made available outside of school hours. No further required provision has been identified as part of the PV study. This site is This site should be protected in the LPSV. This is a school site that currently under PR is available for community use but not used for formal affiliated capacity for rugby. It is, however, used for curriculum and after-school rugby Roding Valley 1 adult South Available D1/M0 (Poor) rugby provision E No further enhancement has been identified as part of this study. High School 0 junior 1.5 match No further required provision has been identified as part of the equivalent spare PV study. capacity per week This site should be protected in the LPSV. This site is used by This site is PR Woodford RFC, a club that is based in the neighbouring London currently over Borough of Waltham Forest. Roding Valley capacity for The site has two pitches that have been identified as being of poor 2 adult Playing Fields South Available D0/M0 (Poor) rugby provision quality. Further analysis is required, with support from the RFU, to 0 junior E South 1 match confirm whether the issues with quality or caused by insufficient equivalent deficit maintenance, overplay or poor drainage infrastructure. per week No further required provision has been identified as part of the PV study.
Page 122 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Rugby Summary This section summarises the findings from the rugby analysis, which will form the basis of the recommendation and action plan section for Epping Forest District. Table 5.17 includes the response to 5 key questions, which are asked for all PPS studies across the UK, in order to provide a standardised illustration of supply and demand for sports provision.
Table 5.17 – Key PPS findings for rugby in Epping Forest District Key Question Analysis The quality of provision across the District for rugby is poor, with the What are the main general level of maintenance not fit for purpose and a lack of artificial characteristics of the drainage installed on key rugby club sites. The demand for rugby is current supply and relatively strong, with three clubs of varying sizes playing in the District, demand for Epping Forest District also imports demand from neighbouring Waltham provision? Forest, which has an impact on pitch capacity in the District. There is a significant deficit for secured and accessible rugby provision across the District, with all three sub areas showing an undersupply of available and secured grass pitches. The major clubs in the District Is there enough therefore use pitches that are unfit for purpose for much of the year, or are accessible and forced to look outside of the District for access to Artificial Grass Pitches. secured community The small sided WR22 AGP at Epping Upper Clapton RFC represents a use provision to useful facility and helps to meet the training demand of the resident club, meet current however it is not enough to meet the training and match play need. demand The addition of 2 standard quality pitches at Ongar Academy represent and opportunity to increase overall provision in the District and address the deficit of provision at local club sites. Is the provision that The maintenance regime for non-education sides across Epping Forest is accessible of District is not adequate to ensure that pitches are fit for purpose and able to sufficient quality and withstand the high levels of demand for rugby, especially in the West and appropriately South sub-areas. maintained? With the transfer in ownership and maintenance responsibilities at Ongar RFC, the rugby club will need to take on greater responsibility for the maintenance of the site. If a volunteer workforce can be mobilised, this is likely to lead to an improved standard of provision, however the situation What are the main also represents a risk for rugby in the area. There is also an opportunity for characteristics of the the club to utilise the improved sites at Ongar Academy, with secured future supply and community use guaranteed through a formal CUA. demand for provision The future trend for rugby demand indicates that demand is likely to increase a small amount, with the highest projected demand coming in the East sub-area. Women and girls rugby demand is projected to increase, in line with the RFU’s national strategic priorities. The future demand for rugby is projected to increase across the District, with the deficit for provision likely to increase further over the lifetime of the Is there enough strategy. Further capacity is required to meet the current and future needs accessible and of local residents, especially in the west and south sub-area. In particular, secured community the significant projected population growth that will be caused by the use provision to Harlow Garden Town project is likely to significantly increase the demand meet future demand for rugby in the Harlow and neighbouring west sub-areas, with new demand being satisfied by Epping Upper Clapton RFC and neighbouring Harlow RFC.
Page 123 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Hockey
Introduction and Strategic Context In order to understand the overall objectives and priorities of England Hockey, an analysis of key recent strategies and documentation has been undertaken and summarised below.
ENGLAND HOCKEY FACILITIES STRATEGY (2017) In 2017 England Hockey published the latest facilities strategy for the sport, which replaces the previous 2012 edition and aims to help every hockey club in England work towards having appropriate and sustainable facilities that provide excellent experiences for players.
Vision: For every hockey player in England to have appropriate and sustainable facilities that provide excellent experiences for players.
Mission: More, Better, Happier players with access to appropriate and sustainable facilities
The club market for hockey is well structured and clubs are required to affiliate to England Hockey to play in community leagues. As a result, only a few occasional teams lie outside of the EH affiliation structure. Schools and Universities are the other two areas where significant hockey is played. England Hockey has the ambition of growing participation by 10,000 adults and 32,500 children. To enable this, the following three objectives have been highlighted;
• PROTECT: To conserve the existing hockey provision. EH currently has over 800 pitches that are used by hockey clubs (club, school, universities). We need to retain the current provision where appropriate to ensure that hockey is maintained across the country • IMPROVE: To improve the existing facilities stock (physically and administratively). The current facilities stock is ageing and there needs to be strategic investment into refurbishing the pitches and ancillary facilities. There needs to more support for clubs to obtain better agreements with facilities providers & education around owning an asset. • DEVELOP: To strategically build new hockey facilities where there is an identified need and ability to deliver and maintain. This might include consolidation hockey provision in a local area where appropriate. Research has identified key areas across the country where there is a lack of suitable Hockey provision and there is a need for additional pitches. There is an identified demand for multi pitches in the right places to consolidate hockey and allow clubs to have all of their provision catered at one site.
ENGLAND HOCKEY CONSULTATION SUMMARY As part of the PPS process, consultation was undertaken with England Hockey, to identify key priorities for Epping Forest District and share best practice from similar local authorities and clubs around the country. Given the size, location and development plans of Old Loughtonians Hockey Club (OLHC), Epping Forest District is seen as a key District for England Hockey. OLHC utilises one of the best facilities
Page 124 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
in the country, as a result of investment into the facility in preparation for the 2012 London Olympics. OLHC now run 21 teams in total and have aspirations to grow further, as well as improving access to indoor hockey provision. England Hockey are keen to identify opportunities to grow the game in the rest of the District, as well as maximizing the spare capacity at OLHC and working with the club to continuously improve it’s ‘offer’.
Supply Epping Forest District has two sites that have full size sand or water based artificial grass pitches that are suitable for competitive hockey. Due to the lack of security for supply at Chigwell School for community use hockey, all club play is accommodated at Old Loughtonians Hockey Club (OLHC). Table 6.1 below details the surface, availability, security, ownership and management of all pitches that are suitable for competitive hockey in Epping Forest District
Table 6.1 – Quantity overview for hockey facilities in Epping Forest District Availability and Site Name Subarea Surface Ownership Management security of community use Chigwell Sand Private Private Available/ South School Filled Education education Unsecured Water Available / OLHC South Trust Club Based Secured Water Available / OLHC South Trust Club Based Secured
QUALITY As part of the Playing Pitch Strategy, each site that is suitable for hockey has been assessed by an independent research team and scored according to England Hockey’s facilities framework contained within the 2013 Sport England Playing Pitch Guidance. Table 6.2 below provides a summary of the quality assessments for all hockey suitable sites in the District, with assessments undertaken at two key sites.
Table 6.2 – Quality overview for hockey facilities in Epping Forest District Age of playing Condition Site Name Surface Size Floodlit surface (Quality score) Chigwell School Sand Filled 100x60 Yes 5-10 years 76 - Standard OLHC Water Based 100x70 Yes 2-5 years 90 - Good OLHC Water Based 100x70 Yes 2-5 years 90 - Good
Table 6.2 indicates that the two pitches that are available for community use (OLHC) are examples of high quality provision. This double water-based pitch site was used as a training venue for the 2012 London Olympics and has therefore benefitted from investment and a high- quality maintenance regime. The site summary for the site, collected as part of the site assessment is shown below.
• Old Loughtonians Hockey Club: The club is largely self-sufficient due to its ability to have attracted high value sponsorships and patrons. The site underwent extensive renovations due to its use as a training venue for the London 2012 Olympics. The club house is large and beginning to show some signs of aging but remains in a fair condition. The main challenges for the club
Page 125 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
are consistent with other large sports clubs, with the club’s present focus being on retaining more players between the ages of 21-30. The club’s small sided training AGP area is in the worst condition of all the playing surfaces and was thought to be over 10 years old. The club's final development aspiration is to add a large indoor hockey appropriate hall on or near to the site.
Demand
CURRENT DEMAND There is one hockey club using hockey facilities in Epping Forest District. Old Loughtonians Hockey Club is one of the premier clubs in the country, with high quality facilities, strong governance and a significant amount of grass-roots participation. The scale of club is demonstrated by Table 6.2, which shows the club profile by age group and gender.
Table 6.2 – Team profile for Hockey in Epping Forest Adult Teams Sub Club Name Senior Juniors Total Area Senior Men Mixed Women OLHC South 6 5 0 10 21 The table below highlights how the profile of hockey teams across Epping Forest creates demand for AGP match and training hours throughout the week. Senior teams train midweek however some junior teams/development centres may train on weekends. It is important to understand that this will impact on capacity analysis when considered with the competitive match slots required above.
Table 6.3 – Match demand for hockey in Epping Forest Weekday Saturday Sunday Number of teams Competitive Hours Required Senior teams (16-65) 11 0 12 1 Junior teams (11-15) 10 0 0 5 Number of teams Training Hours Required Senior teams (16-65) 11 12 0 0 Junior teams (11-15) 10 4 0 0
KEY CLUB CONSULTATION To develop a greater understand of the need for hockey in Epping Forest District, a consultation was undertaken with the only club in the District, a summary of which is provided in the table below.
Table 6.4 – Key club consultation in Epping Forest Club Consultation Summary A large club with 11 adult sides (6 men’s and 5 ladies) and a junior section with boys and girls teams in the U10, U12, U14, U16 and U18 age groups. The club has seen an increase in participation in the last few years, mainly as a consequence of the “Back to Hockey” initiative and the success of team GB in the Olympic Games, and they have plans to keep growing in every age group in coming years. OLHC All match play and training takes place at Old Loughtonians HC, a site that is owned and maintained by the club. They have rated the quality of the pitches and ancillary facilities on site as good, although they have identified some evidence of moss/lichen on the playing surface. If required, they sometimes use the Lea Valley Centre or local schools as back up grounds. The club have also identified a current unmet demand for indoor hockey as a result of the lack of adequate facilities in the area, and they are currently using
Page 126 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Club Consultation Summary facilities outside of Epping Forest for this. They stated that they would be able to generate more teams if a purpose built indoor hockey facility was provided.
Future Demand
DEMAND DRIVEN BY POPULATION GROWTH In order to calculate the future demand for Hockey in the District, a Team Generation Rate15 has been calculated using the current number of teams and the current population. This measure allows us to calculate what size of population (for various age groups) will typically cause enough demand for a hockey team. This Team Generation Rate can now be applied to the population projections for the study area to confirm how population growth or reduction will affect the demand for teams in each of the key age groups. This population projection data has been provided by the Council and aligns to their core strategy. It should be noted that as there is currently one hockey club in Epping Forest District, the future analysis and capacity analysis has been undertaken at a District-wide level.
Table 6.5 – Future demand projections for hockey teams in Epping Forest District Number Current Future Potential of teams population population Change Population in age in age in age Current in Team Age Group Change in group group group TGR Numbers Age Group within within the within the in Age the area area area Group Hockey Senior Men 6 32676.5 35690.9 5446.1 3014.4 0.6 (16-55yrs) Hockey Senior 5 34689.8 37274.5 6938.0 2584.7 0.4 Women (16- 55yrs) Hockey Junior Boys (11- 5 3601.6 4685.5 720.3 1083.9 1.5 15yrs) Hockey Junior Girls (11- 5 3456.2 4511.6 691.2 1055.4 1.5 15yrs) Table 6.5 illustrates that population growth across the District is likely to increase the demand for hockey, with junior boys and girls expected to have the largest growth. It is important that this is considered alongside the latent demand analysis in the following section. It should be noted that as part of the future scenario testing analysis for the Harlow Garden Town Project, further analysis has been undertaken to project the amount of new hockey demand that is likely to be generated by the new population in Harlow and the surrounding areas. Further detail is provided in Section 7 of this report, with the scenario projecting that the Harlow development will generate demand of 0.72 pitches.
15 The Team Generation Rate calculation uses the current number of teams and the current population to calculate a proxy measure of the number of total residents per relevant sports team. This measure is therefore applied to the projected population (depending on the length of the strategy) to predict how many additional teams will be required in order to satisfy the demand from the ‘new’ population.
Page 127 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
DEMAND DRIVEN BY LATENT DEMAND While a large amount of future demand will be driven by population growth, it is also likely that clubs and operators are successful in converting latent demand into actual demand, therefore increasing the number of people playing hockey. The table below identifies all latent demand (not currently active), which the club is aiming to convert into affiliated hockey demand within the next 3 - 5 years. This provides an estimate of the number of new teams that will be required in Epping Forest, in addition to the teams generated by population growth.
Table 6.6 – Latent demand for hockey in Epping Forest District in teams Adult Junior Junior Area Adult Male Total Female Boys Girls Epping Forest District 1 1 1 1 4
Supply and Demand Balance
SUPPLY AND DEMAND BALANCE – SPATIAL ANALYSIS To calculate whether there is any spare capacity at hockey sites in the study area, Table 6.7 shows the supply and demand figures for community use hockey facilities in Epping Forest District. This table contains demand (in hours) from competitive matches as well as training required by local clubs (including Football training). In order to assess the availability of hockey facilities at peak times, it has been assumed that the period of highest demand for hockey matches is on a Saturday.
Table 6.7 – Supply and demand balance for hockey in Epping Forest District Demand (Hours required – Supply (hours) Balance (Hours) Site for training and matches) name Week Sat Sun Week Sat Sun Week Sat Sun
OLHC 40 20 20 16 12 6 22 8 14 Chigwell 20 8 8 9* 0 0 11 8 8 School *Football demand Table 6.7 illustrates that there is over-supply of hockey provision in Epping Forest, however following consultation with England Hockey and the club users, it is evident that provision at OLHC is extremely well-used during periods of peak demand, with the site having little capacity for further growth. The supply and demand analysis for Chigwell indicates that there is spare capacity, when taking into consideration football and hockey demand. It should be noted, however, that consistent and regular bookings for hockey are not feasible, due to ad-hoc football demand for the site. The impact of expected growth in hockey demand will be addressed as part of the scenario analysis later in this section.
PEAK TIME CAPACITY ANALYSIS In line with the 2013 Sport England PPS guidance, this study has considered the total supply and demand for facilities, measured in match equivalents per week. While this is a valuable measure of whether or not AGP facilities are at capacity, the patterns of demand should also be considered when assessing whether there are sufficient facilities across the District.
Page 128 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
With this in mind, this section undertakes a peak time capacity analysis, to assess whether there are sufficient facilities during the periods that the greatest proportion of the population like to play hockey. This will indicate whether there is enough capacity to satisfy the demand where a large amount of hockey is played at the same time (e.g. are there enough match slots so that all adult and junior teams can to play at the favoured times on Saturday and Sunday?) The following assumptions on peak times have been developed, based on standard practice for competitive grass roots hockey, as well as consultation with Old Loughtonians HC.
• There are 4 x 2 hours match slots on Saturday per pitch • There are 4 x 1.5 hours match slots on Sunday per pitch It should be noted that only OLHC has been included in the peak time capacity analysis as it is the only site in the District that has regular hockey demand and a consistent level of supply.
Table 6.8: Peak time capacity analysis for Epping Forest District Hockey provision – Old Loughtonians Hockey Club Age-group Peak-time Peak-time No. of (preferred demand Capacity Balance Commentary teams match slot) (Match Slots) (Match Slots) Adult 2 match equivalents (Saturday 10- 11 6 8 2.5 spare capacity per 6*) week Junior 3 match equivalents (Sunday 10- 10 5 8 3 spare capacity per 4) week *Adult fixtures are occasionally played on Sunday however for this analysis, peak time adult demand is assumed to be Saturday. Table 6.8 indicates that, with the exclusive use of two full sized AGP’s (as well as the training facility for warm up use), OLHC has spare capacity during periods of peak demand. This corresponds to initial consultation with England Hockey, which identified a small amount of spare capacity that can be maximised, by helping the club to grow further and increase its reach in Epping Forest District and further afield.
SUPPLY AND DEMAND BALANCE – SPATIAL ANALYSIS Figure 6.1 overleaf provides a spatial analysis of full size sand based AGP’s in the study area in order to assess whether the current provision of ‘strategic’ hockey facilities meet the needs of the local residents. These maps also include full size AGP’s from neighbouring local authorities, as there is a significant potential export of demand if the facilities in neighbouring local authorities are an attractive offer for residents. The coloured areas show the unique catchment area of each of the AGP’s, which indicates the closest AGP, within 20-minute drive time, for local residents.
Page 129 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Figure 6.1 – Spatial analysis and cross –boundary demand for sand-based AGP’s in Epping Forest District, all AGP data from Active Places Power (Sport England)
Figure 6.1 illustrates that OLHC represents the only facility that is available to the community and suitable for competitive hockey. As a result, a large proportion of Epping Forest District residents are serviced by facilities that are located outside of the District. The Leventhorpe LC in Sawbridgeworth is particularly important, given that it is currently the home ground for a Harlow HC, which has recently been displaced from Harlow Local authority due to a shortage of adequate facilities.
Page 130 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Capacity Analysis and Scenario Testing The following section contains the summary capacity analysis for hockey in Epping Forest District, as well as two relevant summaries, as requested by England Hockey and the Sport England 2013 Playing Pitch Guidance. The analysis does not include sites that are unavailable for community use and therefore Debden Park High School is not included. Table 6.9: Summary capacity analysis and scenarios for hockey (all in hours) Supply (Hours) Demand (matches + training) Balance (supply minus demand) Scenario Name Notes Weekday Sat Sun Weekday Sat Sun Weekday Sat Sun This includes all secured 1. All secured sites 40 20 20 16 12 6 22 8 14 sites and their capacity 2. All secured sites; As above, but including the 40 20 20 19 15 11 19 5 9 FUTURE analysis projected growth in demand Table 6.9 illustrates that there is current future spare capacity for hockey in Epping Forest District, which is possible due to the presence of a high quality two pitch hockey specific site that is secured for community use, at Old Loughtonians Hockey Club. Although this capacity analysis indicates that there is spare capacity for new demand to be satisfied on the site, consultation with the club has indicated that there is a limited supply of further match slots during peak times on Saturday’s and Sunday’s, where additional teams could be catered for. This is further illustrated by Table 6.10 below, which provides a future peak time analysis for OLHC, using the existing level of supply and the future projected demand. It should be noted that it is possible to undertake this type of analysis for Hockey (while not possible for other sports), as all demand can be assumed to be allocated to a single site.
Table 6.10: Future Peak time capacity analysis for Epping Forest District Hockey provision – Old Loughtonians Hockey Club Age-group (preferred No. of Peak-time demand Peak-time Capacity Balance Commentary match slot) teams (Match Slots) (Match Slots) Adult (Saturday 10-6*) 14 8 8 0 No spare capacity per week Junior (Sunday 10-4) 15 7.5 8 0.5 0.5 match equivalents spare capacity per week Table 6.10 illustrates with the projected total growth of 5 junior teams and 3 adult teams, OLHC is projected to have minimal spare capacity during the peak period by the end of the strategy. This does not allow for unforeseen growth (such as the level of growth that has been experienced since the Rio Olympics), and therefore there is a risk that OLHC are not able to meet future demand and should identify options for further capacity elsewhere in the District. It is also key to note that with the projected growth of demand in the Harlow area, if this demand is not satisfied by a new or local club, then the peak time supply of demand for existing sites is likely to become a deficit.
Page 131 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Strategic sites for Protection, Enhancement and Provision Table 6.11 provides a justification for how the two hockey sites should be Protected, Enhanced or Protected.
Table 6.11 – Site by Site Analysis for Hockey
Pitch Type and Pitch assessment Justification for Protection (PR), Enhancement (E) or Site Name Sub Area Balance (Total Hrs) Size score Provision (PV)
This site should be protected in the LPSV. This is an education site that is not used for community hockey but PR is used by the school and for minimal football community This site is currently use. Chigwell Sand filled (110m x South 76 - Standard under capacity for No further enhancement has been identified as part of School 70m) E hockey provision this study. No further required provision has been identified as part PV of the study. This site should be protected in the LPSV. This is a high quality hockey site that is owned and managed by Old PR Loughtonians Hockey Club. The two-pitch site is one of 2 x water based the best in the area and hosts high quality formal hockey (110m x 70m) for adults and juniors. Old This site is currently No further enhancement has been identified as part of Loughtonians South 90 - Good under capacity for E 1x sand-based this study. Hockey Club hockey provision training AGP The club has identified that there is a need for indoor (60x40m) hockey provision located at or nearby this site. This PV would improve winter training facilities and increase participation in grass-roots hockey programmes delivered by England Hockey.
Page 132 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Hockey Summary This section summarises the findings from the hockey analysis, which will form the basis of the recommendation and action plan section for Epping Forest District. Table 6.10 includes the response to 5 key questions, which are asked for all PPS studies across the UK, in order to provide a standardised illustration of supply and demand for sports provision.
Table 6.10 – Key PPS findings for hockey in Epping Forest District Key Question Analysis The quality of provision across the District for hockey is high, given the What are the main existence of a high quality two pitch site at OLHC. characteristics of the This excellent facility is utilised as a home ground by Old Loughtonians current supply and Hockey Club, who have a large amount of demand for senior and junior demand for hockey. Additional sand-based provision is available at Chigwell School; provision? however, this is not secured for community use and is not currently used for community use hockey. Is there enough accessible and There is enough capacity at the existing site to meet the current needs for secured community outdoor hockey in Epping Forest District. use provision to meet current demand Is the provision that is accessible of The existing facility at OLHC represents one of the best club hockey sufficient quality and facilities in the country, with two high quality water-based pitches. This appropriately facility is well maintained by the club, which manages the site. maintained? Future demand for hockey in Epping Forest is projected to grow, through What are the main a combination of population growth and the conversion of latent demand. characteristics of the The sport has also enjoyed significant growth since the Women’s gold future supply and medal at the Rio Olympics, which it is hoped will stimulate further growth demand for provision at both junior and adult age groups across the country. The projected increase in demand can be satisfied at the existing OLHC site, however consultation has indicated that this would exacerbate issues that the club is currently having with winter hockey and finding and Is there enough appropriate location for competitive and friendly indoor hockey. accessible and The future peak time analysis indicates that over the lifetime of the secured community strategy, OLHC are likely to have limited spare capacity for demand during use provision to meet the peak period. As a result, it is recommended that additional sites are future demand sought and secured for long-term community use, to not only diversify the supply of hockey in Epping Forest District, but also to address potential future shortages in supply during the peak period.
Page 133 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Scenario Testing and Options Appraisal
The supply and demand analysis undertaken in each of the previous sections provides a clear view of the capacity for sports facilities across Epping Forest District, based on the existing supply of facilities and the demand for these facilities from residents, both now and in the future. This data provides an accurate evidence base, on which future planning and investment decisions can be made, using the guidelines outlines in the ‘Delivering the Strategy’ chapter of the strategy. To complement the analysis that has been undertaken in each of the sport-specific sections, this chapter contains detailed further analysis on a small number of key scenarios, which have been identified by the project steering group throughout the development of the PPS. For each of the scenarios identified below, a short summary is provided to explain why the scenario needs to be tested. Following this, a needs assessment for each of the relevant facility types is undertaken and explained.
Harlow Garden Town Project As identified in the strategic context section of this study, the Harlow Garden Town project represents a significant level of proposed housing development, which will transform the landscape and infrastructure of Harlow and the surrounding area. Given the rural nature of the Epping Forest District area that borders the Harlow local authority boundary, there is minimal existing sports provision, largely due to the lack of residents and subsequent demand. As a result, the 3,900 new dwellings that are proposed for the area, as well as the associated new residents, are likely to generate significant demand for new Playing Pitch provision. In line with guidance provided in the ‘Delivering the Strategy’ chapter of this report, it is key that the growth projected in Epping Forest District is considered alongside the significant levels of growth that are projected in nearby Harlow and East Herts Councils. This is to ensure that the facility planning can be undertaken on a sub-regional level and develop facilities that have the greatest amount of added value for new and existing residents. To understand the projected need for playing pitch provision triggered by the Harlow Garden Town development, Sport England’s Playing Pitch New Development Calculator (PPNDC) has been developed to provide a total number of facilities that are likely to be needed to meet the needs of new residents. The full Playing Pitch New Development Calculator and associated Harlow Town analysis is included as Technical Appendix F – Playing Pitch New Development Calculator, in addition to a short summary below. Using an estimated population growth of 9,067 (in line with the 3,900) dwelling, the figure below illustrates how the PPNDC model generates an estimated demand for each of the pitch typologies.
Page 134 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Figure 7.1: PPNDC Input data and estimated demand for new development
Using this estimated demand data and assumption of how much supply would be needed to meet demand during the peak period, the figure below identifies the total number of pitches that are projected to be required, by typology. Using Sport England’s latest capital costs, as well as robust operating costs such as maintenance and sinking fund (where relevant) allocation, this figure also shows the expected capital cost and annual lifecycle cost for each of the pitch typologies.
Figure 7.2: PPNDC required facilities and associated cost
Figure 7.2 illustrates that a total of 12.38 new pitches will be required to meet the needs of new residents living in the Harlow Garden Town Development, spread over the different pitch typologies. This is based on existing rates of demand for the District and therefore could be subject to change, for instance if a Rugby League team moves into the area or if a new team is formed. This analysis provides a guideline for future needs generated by major development; however, these should be considered alongside the guidelines provided in the ‘Delivering the Strategy’ chapter of this strategy. For instance, it may be that the increase in demand is met more effectively by existing provision and therefore any S106 contribution is put towards projects that help to meet the need of the new population. It should be noted that the figures that the calculator shows in demanded pitch numbers does not mean that new pitches should necessarily be provided in the development. This additional demand could be met by a combination of new grass pitches, improvements to the quality of existing grass pitches or 3G AGP provision.
Page 135 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
This is likely to be especially relevant for Rugby provision, as large and effective rugby clubs currently existing near to the Harlow boundary in both Epping Forest (Epping Upper Clapton RFC) and Harlow (Harlow RFC). As a result, it is likely that investment is better placed in one or both of these facilities, with new residents encouraged to join an existing club. It is important to emphasise that the figures generated by the PPNDC should not be considered in isolation, as some of the housing growth straddles the Harlow and Epping Forest District boundary. As a result, the combined demand from the overall development needs to be considered, rather than just the demand from growth within Epping Forest District.
Use of 3G AGP’s for affiliated football During the last decade 3G FTPs have played an increasing role within the national game. They are regarded by the Football Association (FA) and Football Foundation (FF) as the optimum facility for training by clubs. In recent seasons, they have also become more popular for competitive matches. With this in mind, before developing the recommendations and action plan for this PPS, a key scenario has been looked at to help with understanding what demand there may be for full size floodlit 3G FTPs in Epping Forest District, if increased amounts of play were to take place on them. In line with national priorities, to get more young people playing football on 3G AGP’s this scenario considers the likely total demand if all youth 9v9 and mini demand that is currently being played during the period of peak demand is moved from grass pitches to 3G AGP. While it is understood that in practice it is unlikely that 100% of demand will transfer for these age groups, it provides a valuable assessment of the potential impact on pitch capacity, if the FA and FF are successful in changing player and coach behaviour and moving clubs from natural grass to 3G AGP provision. Table 7.1 takes information from the assessment stage of this PPS to present the number of youth 9v9 and mini teams playing on natural grass pitches during the relevant peak periods. This then calculates an estimated number of matches at peak time and associated 3G AGP requirement.
Table 7.1: Number of 3G AGP’s that would be required to meet demand No Total No 3G units 3G matches units Teams per pitches at PEAK required Format per time match required TIME formats (A)=(y)*(z (x) (y)= x/2 (z) B= (A)/64 ) 5v5 48 24 4 96 1.5 7v7 42 21 8 168 2.6 9v9 39 19.5 10 195 3.0 11v11(Y) 0 0 32 0 0.0 11v11(A) 0 0 32 0 0.0 7.2 Table 8.1 illustrates that a total of 7.2 pitches would be required to meet the need at peak times for mini and youth 9v9 match demand, based on parameters provided by the FA and FF. It should be noted that this scenario does not represent a total actual requirement for 3G AGP provision, however the results of the scenario can be used to inform future planning into the development of 3G AGP provision across Epping Forest District. The full report, detailing the
Page 136 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
parameters considered as part of this scenario, are included as Technical Appendix H – 3G Scenario Testing.
Ninefields: Site loss mitigation. Due to the re-location of the existing Waltham Abbey Pools leisure centre to a new site at Ninefields, it is expected that existing grass pitch stock will be lost at the site in within the next two years. Planning permission for the new leisure facility has been granted and off-site contribution has been identified in relation to the development. This off-site contribution is approximately £340k. This scenario provides greater detail on the proposed lost and test alternative options for how pitch provision should be re-allocated and how the existing home club, Abbey Youth FC, should be supported.
SUPPLY SUMMARY Site assessment undertaken at the site identified three good quality youth and mini soccer with poor quality ancillary and changing provision. These three pitches consisted one youth 9v9, one mini 7v7 and one mini 5v5. Subsequent analysis by work commissioned through the FA Pitch Improvement Programme identified that up to 6 youth and mini pitches are marked out at the site at any one time, however for consistency the three-pitch supply will be considered for this scenario. Technical Appendix J – Pitch Improvement Programme Report provides greater detail on the technical quality assessment that has been undertaken by the IOG for a selection of sites, of which Ninefields is one.
DEMAND SUMMARY The PPS demand audit identified 16 teams using grass pitches at the Ninefields site, all of which are part of the Abbey Youth FC club. These teams generate a total demand of 7.5 match equivalents per week, with the following demand in the peak period per pitch typology;
• Youth 11v11 – 1 match equivalent • Youth 9v9 – 1 match equivalent • Mini 7v7 – 2 match equivalents • Mini 5v5 – 2 match equivalents
MITIGATION OPTIONS Consultation undertaken as part of the PPS, as well as further supply and demand analysis for relevant sites, have identified four potential options to mitigate the loss of grass football pitch provision at the site. These options are identified overleaf, with a description of the potential mitigation, as well as a commentary as to the viability of the option and where applicable, suggested next steps. The colour coding on the next steps identify the preferred mitigation, with red identifying non- viable options, amber showing potential options that do not fully meet the needs of residents, and green showing the recommended mitigation and way forward. To ensure that an appropriate mitigation is found for the loss of pitch provision at Ninefields, further detailed feasibility and costing work is required, to identify the accurate capital and operating expenditure associated with developing alternative pitch provision. Detailed actions relating to this further feasibility work are included within the Action Plan section of this strategy.
Page 137 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Table 7.2: Mitigation options for Ninefields site Mitigation Option Description Viability and Feasibility commentary Next Steps Detailed technical assessment has been undertaken Re-locate existing pitch provision to grass area of through the Pitch Improvement Programme at Townmead Townmead Park that is not currently marked out as Park. Further feasibility work is required to identify the total Undertake detailed costing exercise 1. Re-locate football pitches. Utilise previous analysis undertaken expected cost of drainage and maintenance improvements. for new pitch investment, utilising grass pitch as part of the Pitch Improvement Programme (See Given the shortage of land in the Waltham Abbey, this existing developer contribution. Any provision to Technical Appendix J), as well as further technical appears to be the only grass area that could be utilised for remaining funding should be Townmead Park assessment or feasibility work as required, to grass football pitch provision. allocated to 3G pitch provision, as undertake a significant pitch improvement project, If all pitch provision was identified as being of Good quality, part of Option 4 including drainage and maintenance improvement. there is enough space to meet the needs of Abbey Youth FC. 2. Identify new Identify alternative grass site in Waltham Abbey Area The PPS site assessments and consultation process has site in Waltham to develop multi-pitch site to be utilised by Abbey identified that there are no sites within the Waltham Abbey Abbey for Abbey Youth FC, which can meet the club’s 7.5 match Area that are available for grass pitch provision, especially Not a viable option Youth FC home equivalents of total demand and the peak demand given the management and maintenance requirements ground requirements identified in the above demand section. associated with installing grass pitches. Significant investment into 3G AGP provision has been recommended through the delivery of this PPS. While allocating Abbey Youth a significant proportion of Ensure that Abbey Youth FC are As part of this investment there is an opportunity capacity at a new 3G AGP, this would not provide the 3. Invest in 3G allocated peak time slots for any new (should a high quality 3G AGP with secure community volume of pitch provision that is required to meet demand AGP provision to 3G AGP provision in the Waltham use be built in the Waltham Abbey area), to move all during peak periods of demand. Additional grass pitch satisfy all Abbey Abbey area, while continuing to seek existing Abbey Youth FC grass pitch demand onto 3G provision is therefore required to complement new 3G AGP Youth FC additional land to meet the need for AGP provision. Given the number of teams and level provision. demand grass pitch provision during periods of demand, Abbey Youth FC would require Potential sites for further investment have been identified of peak demand. approximately 40% of available peak hours (likely to within the Action Plan in Section 8. be 16 hrs) to meet the current needs of the club. Undertaken detailed feasibility study to identify potential sites for 3G AGP 4. Split demand provision, alongside costing exercise between Abbey Youth FC have previously identified a This appears to be the preferable option and will provide identified in Option 1. Ensure that Townmead Park requirement to retain the use of grass-pitch provision, Abbey Youth FC with the best solution for the club’s needs. this feasibility study takes a wider new grass therefore this option assumes that demand would be The viability of this option depends on the availability of strategic focus around potential pitches and new split between new 3G AGP provision (8-10 hrs) and high quality 3G AGP provision during peak periods of investment sites across Epping 3G AGP new grass pitches at Townmead Park. demand. Forest District, whilst still having a provision specific analysis that focusses on the Waltham Abbey area
Page 138 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Recommendations and Action Plan
Through a detailed supply and demand analysis of the four sports included in the scope of the strategy, as well as stakeholder consultations across the District, an action plan has been developed, which will guide the steering group in their delivery of sports provision and facility decisions over the next 10 years. In addition to the detailed action plan, which is provided in the following section, a small number of wide-ranging recommendations have been provided, which should guide the future direction of sports facility provision across Epping Forest District. These actions and recommendations seek to address the key issues that have been identified through the development of this study. As the overall objective of the strategy is to ensure residents have the appropriate quality, quantity and accessibility of sports facilities, many of these issues relate to the capacity of facilities to meet the need of Epping Forest District’s current and future population. Through the site-by-site assessments and the catchment area analysis undertaken for each individual pitch typology, a number of sites and geographical areas have been identified, where additional capacity is required in order to meet the needs of residents. This section brings together the complete evidence base and analysis that has been developed as part of the PPS and provides a clear strategy for the future delivery of sports provision in Epping Forest District. At a strategic level, the following key recommendations have been identified for each of the sport typologies, as well as for general sports provision.
Overall Recommendations
GENERAL
Recommendation 1: For all sports and physical activity, look to increase and secure community use at education sites across the study area. There is currently significant dependence on unsecured facilities to meet the needs of residents across the District, which represents a risk to participation and physical activity in Epping Forest District.
Recommendation 2: Work with sports clubs across the District to explore asset transfer of community sports facilities, from District, town and parish councils to specific clubs or sports organisations. Utilise the existing volunteer network across Epping Forest District by providing more autonomy for clubs and allowing those organisations that have adequate governance and financial stability to develop facilities and participation.
Recommendation 3: Work with Harlow Council and East Herts District Council to ensure a strategic approach is followed for new provision developed as part of the Harlow Garden Town Project. Work in partnership to produce a combined strategy which pulls together the evidence and recommendations from the sports facilities strategies delivered for each local authority area, in order to provide a strategic and coherent for the provision of playing pitches in the planned growth area around Harlow.
Page 139 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
FOOTBALL
Recommendation 4: Protect all sites designated as football playing fields in this PPS in line with Policy D 4 of the Local Plan Submission Version, with the exception of Abbess Roding Playing Field, Frampton Road and Thornwood Common. These sites have been identified as being surplus to requirements and can be designated as open space or for alternative physical activity. Policy D 4 outlines the approach to the loss of existing playing field sites. Investment in alternative playing pitch facilities must be in accordance with priorities identified in the PPS Action Plan is required.
For high-risk sites that are of high strategic importance for grass-roots football, such as Metropolitan Sports Ground and Football Academy Loughton, ensure that these sites are afforded the highest possible level of protection, to reduce the risk of them being lost as sports provision. If these sites are to be lost, it is key that a high-value mitigation package is put in place, to future-proof grass roots football in the District.
Recommendation 5: Seek to increase the number of full sized 3G AGP’s that are available for community use, through the development of new facilities or the improvement of access to existing facilities. Through a District-wide feasibility study for additional 3G pitch sites, focus on the development of facilities in the South and West sub-areas, especially in the areas of Epping, Chigwell and Waltham Abbey, where the highest amount of demand currently exists.
To identify viable sites that meet the needs of residents, as well as to mitigate the expected loss of the Ninefields site, undertake further feasibility studies at Townmead Leisure Park (2nd 3G AGP), Grange Farm, Jubilee Park, Football Academy Loughton and Capershotts, to confirm financial viability and management infrastructure, both of which are required if 3G AGP’s are to be installed. In addition, undertake further consultation with Chigwell School and Buckhurst Hill FC to identify if either site has the appetite to invest in and manage a new 3G AGP facility.
While the West sub-area has been identified in the current and future AGP analysis as not requiring further 3G AGP provision, there is a deficit of adequate provision across the District. If there is an opportunity to invest in 3G AGP provision in the West sub- area, it is therefore recommended that this is maximised, while encouraging teams from the South sub-area to travel into the West sub-area for access to high quality provision.
Recommendation 6: Continue to invest in the grass pitches across the study area, to improve the quality and reduce the amount of cancelled games during periods of poor weather. Prioritise sites that are key for future community use using the site-specific actions and prioritisation.
Recommendation 7: Address the football pitch capacity issues at periods of peak demand by moving mini and youth football to the proposed new 3G AGP provision, while working with the leagues and clubs to establish a more flexible kick-off policy and allow teams to play throughout the day on Saturday’s and Sunday’s. See relevant scenario for detail of future need.
Recommendation 8: Address the widespread issue of poor ancillary and changing pavilion quality through the refurbishment and replacement of existing ancillary facilities. Prioritise sites that are key for future community use using the site-specific actions and prioritisation.
CRICKET
Recommendation 9: Protect all sites designated as cricket playing fields in this PPS in line with Policy D 4 of the Local Plan Submission Version, with the exception of Larsens Recreation Ground and Town Mead AGP. This site has been identified as being surplus to requirements and can be designated as open space or for alternative physical activity.
Page 140 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Recommendation 10: Work with clubs that are currently playing at unsecured sites to agree long term security of tenure with landholders.
Recommendation 11: Utilise the funding opportunities and strategic direction provided by the ECB’s Cricket Unleashed strategy, to provide fit for purpose facilities and programmes across the District. Work with the ECB and Essex County Cricket Board to continue to develop All Stars Cricket and increase participation in the programme across the District.
Recommendation 12: Work with clubs, the ECB and the Essex County Cricket Board to increase access to high quality indoor facilities for training and match play.
RUGBY
Recommendation 13: Protect all sites designated as rugby playing fields in this PPS, in line with Policy D 4 of the Local Plan Submission Version.
Recommendation 14: Improve the maintenance regime across all local authority managed rugby pitches, to increase the capacity of grass rugby pitches, especially those used by Loughton RFC and Ongar RFC.
Recommendation 15: Increase the capacity for rugby by investing in WR22 AGP facilities, allowing clubs to use the facility during periods of poor weather and for midweek winter training. Undertake feasibility work with Epping Upper Clapton to assess the viability of delivering a full-size 3G WR22 AGP on the existing site, which can be used for rugby training and matchplay, as well as to meet growing football demand in the District.
HOCKEY
Recommendation 16: Protect all sites designated as hockey playing fields in this PPs, in line with Policy D 4 of the Local Plan Submission Version.
Recommendation 17: Work with the existing OLHC to maintain the high-quality facilities that are available for residents, while exploring the development of indoor facilities in the District, potentially in collaboration with the ECB and Essex CCB.
Recommendation 18: Engage with Chigwell School to improve community use of education facilities and improve provision in areas of the District that do not currently sit within a catchment area of a community accessible facility.
Page 141 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Action Plan This section provides a detailed action plan, broken down by site with clear owners, timescales and expected resources. This is shown overleaf in Table 8.1. In addition to funding by the Council, the table identifies potential sources of external funding. It should be noted that funding for the actions below could come from one, or a combination, of funding sources shown below. This is not an exhaustive list and could be extended to other sources, depending on availability.
• CIL Monies should the Council decide to publish a CIL Charging Schedule • Section 106 funding • Community Grants Schemes The Action Plan does not identify all those clubs that may be partners or provide resources in relation to its delivery. It is assumed that where clubs have a long-standing interest in a specific site that they will be a partner in delivering the actions and contribute financially or in-kind where appropriate. Table 8.1 contains the full action plan for the Epping Forest District PPS. The actions are split by sport and site, to provide specific direction on how facilities should be improved and invested in. It should be noted that not all sites have actions allocated to them, as it is unrealistic to expect funding partners to contribute to improvements at all facilities across a local authority area.
Notes on Action Plan Issue/ opportunity: The issue or opportunity that can be addressed Key Actions: Numbering indicates order of preference Partners: Top listed partner is identified as lead partner Resources: Key resource implications (time and money) Timescale: Short: 0–2 yrs Medium: 2-5 yrs Long 5-10 yrs Priority: Low, Medium and High, depending on overall impact for sports participation - All costs are estimated, based on 4 global desktop research and consultation with industry experts. These are not based on firm pricing or quotes from reputable contractors, unless stated otherwise - All maintenance costs represent the full cost for maintaining the pitches. They do not, therefore, reflect any maintenance that is currently being undertaken at the site and the cost incurred for these services. In reality, the cost for additional maintenance would be reflected by an increase of the current maintenance cost, rather than the full price stated as part of this action plan - Where prices are stated for IOG pitch assessment, figures are based on 2 days @ £750 per day. If multiple sites are to be included within the same audit, there is an opportunity to assess 4 sites per day, with a minimal increase in the cost for writing up the assessments There is not unlimited funding to invest in sports facilities, for any of the identified partners. As a result, actions have been prioritised on sites that are currently either not fit-for-purpose, showing a deficit of provision, or those that represent a viable investment opportunity that will significantly increase the quality, quantity or accessibility of sports provision in Epping Forest District. To provide the Council and Steering Group with a clear identification of ‘strategic’ investment priorities across the District, high profile strategic investment projects have been identified overleaf in bold. These projects are likely to be limited in number due to their size but will deliver a significant level of benefit for grass-roots sport and physical activity. These projects are likely to cost approximately £500k or more and will include a number of different stakeholders and funding partners.
Page 142 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Table 8.1 – Epping Forest District PPS Action Plan Site Sub-area Action ID Issue / opportunity Key Action(s) Partners Resources Timescale Priority Officer time Trees that encroach on the 1. Engage with the local cricket club to agree Tree ground have been raised a long-term strategy for dealing with trees, EFDC management 1. Short 1. Medium Abridge as an issue, along with either through removal or more frequent East Cric-1 Essex CCB services cost Cricket Club damage to the clubhouse maintenance ECB Capital cost for 2. Short 2. High through vandalism and 2. Improve signage or add CCTV to the site, to signage and local crime. reduce vandalism CCTV The site has been identified Abridge as having poor pitch quality Parish and a poor ancillary facility. 1. Seek support and guidance from the Council Further maintenance Football Foundation regarding the Abridge Football East Foot-1 investment is required to improvement to maintenance provision and Officer time Short Low Village Hall Foundation improve the quality of the the refurbishment of the existing ancillary Essex grass pitch and the facility. County FA ancillary provision is in EFDC need of refurbishment. ECB and ECCB Buckhurst The site can suffer from officer time for Hill Cricket flooding and has been 1. Engage with the ECB to identify methods to Buckhurst flood 1. Short 1. Medium and damaged twice in the last mitigate the risk of future flood damage. Hill CC South Cric-2 prevention. Lacrosse two years. The site also 2. Invest in a non-turf pitch on the existing ECB ECB capital 2. Medium 2. Medium Club (Roding has a deficit of provision for square, to add capacity for junior cricket. Essex CCB grant funding Lane) the current level of demand for NTP 1. Support the club in their procurement Buckhurst Officer time The site does not and development of 4 additional pitches. Hill FC IOG survey Buckhurst currently have any spare Work with the club to improve the Football and report Hill Football South Foot-2 capacity for football maintenance regime on the site utilising Foundation FF Short High Club during periods pf peak and ensure the club has access to high Essex maintenance demand. quality maintenance equipment to be used County FA equipment by the volunteer workforce. EFDC grants Nazeing Bumbles Parish This is a well-used facility 1. Undertake a feasibility study and secure Officer time Green Council West Foot-3 with an ancillary facility that planning permission for a replacement Feasibility study Medium Low Leisure Football is not fit for purpose. changing pavilion. fee Centre Foundation EFDC A high-quality site for Waltham Volunteer time adult football, this site is 1. Refurbish the existing ancillary facility to Abbey FC Refurbishment unsecured for long-term meet the needs of the home club. Capershotts West Foot-4 Essex costs for Medium Medium community use and has 2. Work with EFDC to establish long-term County FA ancillary an ancillary facility that is community of tenure at the site EFDC Officer time for not fit for purpose.
Page 143 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Site Sub-area Action ID Issue / opportunity Key Action(s) Partners Resources Timescale Priority 3. Undertake a feasibility study for a 3G Football community stadia pitch to replace the existing 1st team Foundation use agreement pitch. The school currently has a significant amount of land, which is an opportunity for Essex the development of a new County FA 1. Work with Chigwell School and local clubs Partner funding, 3G AGP. Given the use of Football Chigwell to explore the development of a new 3G AGP, alongside South Foot-5 the existing sand-based for Foundation Medium High School to be developed in line with the FA Pitch investment from curriculum hockey use, it is EFDC Register requirements. the school. recommended that any 3G Chigwell facility is developed in School addition to the existing AGP at the site. 1. Undertake further technical assessment to EFDC Football The site has no spare determine the root cause of waterlogging Football Foundation Debden capacity during periods of issues. Foundation funding for IOG South Foot-6 Short Medium Sports Club peak demand and is 2. Refurbish the existing ancillary facility to IOG Ancillary subject to waterlogging. improve the overall quality of provision at the Essex refurbishment site. County FA costs This site has been 1. Support the cricket club with its aspirations identified by the club as to relocate to a new site, ensuring that any Epping CC Epping being unfit for purpose, with Essex CCB West Cric-3 replacement site is at least of equal quality, Essex CCB Medium Low Cricket Club the club looking to move to officer time quantity and accessibility for existing and new ECB a new home ground, if a participants. site can be secured, Officer time for community use This is an unsecured site agreement that is owned by the 1. Engage with Corporation of London to Epping Office time and Corporation of London. The confirm a long-term security of use agreement 1. Short 1. High Foresters CC increase Epping site currently has a deficit for cricket provision Essex CCB maintenance Foresters West Cric-4 of provision, which is 2. Engage with the club and the ECB to 2. Medium 2. Medium ECB effort for animal Cricket Club exacerbated by issues with address issues with animal damage Corporation damage deer and rabbits that cause 3. Invest in a non-turf pitch on the existing 3. Medium 3, Low of London. remedial action damage to the outfield and square, to add capacity for junior cricket. ECB capital square. grant funding for NTP There is a shortage of 1. Seek technical support from the RFU to Epping RFU technical 1. High Epping 1. Short playing and training identify whether issues with grass pitches Upper grounds Upper West Rug-1 facilities at the site, are influenced by drainage, insufficient Clapton maintenance 2. Clapton 2. Short leading to a deficit of maintenance or overplay RFC support Medium RFC provision. 2. Pending the results of action 1, improve RFU RFU and club
Page 144 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Site Sub-area Action ID Issue / opportunity Key Action(s) Partners Resources Timescale Priority the maintenance regime that is currently volunteer time 3. 3, undertaken, to improve the carrying to identify Medium Medium capacity at the site potential 2. Work with the club to increase access to WR22 3G AGP a WR22 3G AGP site, either on the existing developments site or within an appropriate travel time. Continue to work with the RFU on feasibility work for installation of a full- sized WR22 AGP on site. This is an unsecured site Fives and Officer time for 1. Engage with the private landowner to that is owned by a private Heronians community use Fives and confirm a long-term security of use agreement 1. Short 1. Medium landholder. The site CC agreement Heronians South Cric-5 for cricket provision currently has a deficit of ECB ECB capital Cricket Club 2. Invest in a non-turf pitch on the existing 2. Medium 2. Low provision for matchplay and ECCB grant funding square, to add capacity for junior cricket. training. EFDC for NTP This has previously been a 1. Work with site owners to ensure the site is key site for junior football, Site owners protected as playing fields moving forward. with a number of grass EFDC Football 2. Pending agreement on long-term pitches and adequate Essex Feasibility study Academy South Foot-7 protection, undertake a feasibility study for the 1. Short 1. High ancillary provision. The site County FA fees Loughton development of a 3G AGP site, to address the is now dis-used and could Football existing deficit of appropriate provision in the be at risk from future Foundation District development plans. The club has recently been evicted from the village hall that they have previously Fyfield CC used as an ancillary facility. 1. Engage with the Parish Council to negotiate Fyfield Essex CCB Officer time for The long-term viability of a mutually beneficial community use Sports and East Cric-6 Fyfield community use 1. Short 1. Medium the site is an issue, as the agreement, with use of the village hall Social Club Parish agreement Parish Council now included. Council undertake the maintenance of the site, which is no longer fit for purpose. 1. In line with Action Foot-5, explore links Grange with neighbouring Chigwell School and the This site is currently at a Farm Trust development of a 3G facility on either deficit of grass pitch Essex Feasibility Grange school premises or Grange Farm. South Foot-8 provision due to the County FA study fees for Short High Farm 2. If a development of this type is not volume of demand for Football a new 3G AGP possible at the school, explore the community football. Foundation possibility of investing in a full size 3G EFDC AGP at the Grange Farm Site.
Page 145 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Site Sub-area Action ID Issue / opportunity Key Action(s) Partners Resources Timescale Priority This is an unsecured site that is owned by a private 1. Engage with the private landowner to Officer time for landholder. The confirm a long-term security of use agreement High Beach community use maintenance regime is for cricket provision 1. Short 1. Medium High Beach CC agreement West Cric-7 currently undertaken by the 2. Provide access to fit for purpose machinery Cricket Club Essex CCB Capital funding club however volunteers do and equipment for club volunteers, through a 2. Medium 2. Medium ECB for maintenance not have fit for purpose shared equipment pool or provision to the equipment machinery to do this club. effectively. This site was identified as 1. Engage with the local football club to being of standard quality improve maintenance at the site and support however evidence of over- volunteers with high quality maintenance use in areas of high traffic Ongar Town equipment to assist in day to day work. were apparent on Council Costs for Jubilee Park 2. Undertake a feasibility study for a 3G pitch East Foot-9 assessment. A more robust Essex maintenance Short Medium Pavilion to replace one of the adult 11v11 football maintenance programme is County FA equipment pitches, working with Ongar Town Council and required if this site is to be EFDC home clubs to test a viable business model used a high-quality football and meet the future needs of the East sub- site. This site has no spare area. capacity at the peak period. The site is currently well RFU technical 1. Work with the RFU to design an updated used but does not have grounds Jubilee Park maintenance regime and ensure that this is adequate maintenance to Ongar RFC maintenance Pavilion East Rug-2 followed, with support provided by the RFU 1. Short 1. Medium ensure pitches are kept to RFU support and raw (Ongar RFC) where required regarding expertise or a high quality throughout materials materials the year. capital cost The site currently has a significant level of deficit for 1. Invest in a non-turf pitch on the existing Loughton CC Officer time for cricket provision, caused square, to add capacity for junior cricket. Loughton community use be a high volume of junior 2. Work with Loughton CC, the Town Council 1. Short 1. High Loughton Town agreement South Cric-8 and adult cricket. The lease and the Essex CCB to negotiate a mutually Cricket Club Council ECB capital at the ground is also accessible long-term lease or community 2. Medium 2. Medium Essex CCB grant funding expiring within the next 5 asset transfer agreement, to take affect at the EFDC for NTP years and therefore on- end of the existing lease. going tenure is a risk. The site has been identified Loughton 1. Explore the possibility of undertaking a as being of standard Town community asset transfer from the Town quality, however the Council Officer time Loughton Council to the Local Club, depending on the maintenance regime is not Loughton Ancillary Football South Foot-10 club's appetite to take on additional Medium Medium adequate, given the Football Club refurbishment Club responsibility. amount of demand and the Essex costs 2. Refurbish the existing ancillary facility to number of pitches at the County FA ensure the site is fit for purpose. site. The site also has a Football
Page 146 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Site Sub-area Action ID Issue / opportunity Key Action(s) Partners Resources Timescale Priority poor-quality ancillary that Foundation requires refurbishment to EFDC ensure the full site is fit for purpose for community football. The pitches at the site are 1. Work with the club, RFU and local authority poor quality and one pitch to improve the quality of the two pitches at the has been unplayable for site. Utilise expert advice provided by the RFU Loughton Loughton RFC Loughton over 10 years. The club to identify whether the issue at the site is poor RFC volunteer time South Rug-3 Medium Low RFC aspire to have another maintenance or insufficient drainage RFC RFU and EFDC team but as a result of only infrastructure. Undertake a basic feasibility EFDC officer time having one playable pitch study to calculate the expected costs of site this is not feasible. improvement. 1. Ensure the site is protected as playing fields, given the high strategic importance for grass roots football London FF funding for 2. Improve the maintenance regime at the site, Mayors IOG 1. Short 1. High to increase the carrying capacity of all pitches Office maintenance
Metropolitan A high-quality site that is 3. Work with the London Mayors Office to Essex review 2. Short 2. Medium Police used extensively but is not confirm a long-term community use County FA Officer time for South Foot-11 (Chigwell secured for long-term agreement, that will provide clubs with security EFDC community use 3. Short 3. High Sports Club) community use of tenure Football agreement
4. Pending the option above being successful, Foundation Partner funding 4. Long 4. High work with the London Mayors Office to expand Barkingside for new 3G the existing AGP on site and develop a full Youth FC AGP facility sized 3G AGP that can be used by all clubs currently playing football at the site. 1. Engage with the private landowner to Officer time for This is an unsecured site Nazeing confirm a long-term security of use agreement community use that is owned by a private Common CC 1. Short 1. Medium Nazeing for cricket provision agreement West Cric-9 landholder. existing ECB Common 2. Work with the club and landholder to Partner funding pavilion is of poor quality EFDC 2. Long 2. Medium replace the existing ancillary facility with a fit for ancillary and needs to be replaced. Essex CCB for purpose pavilion. facility provision Due to the re-location of the existing Waltham 1. Mitigate the expected loss of grass EFDC Abbey Pools leisure pitches at Ninefields, through the provision Football Officer time for centre to a new site at of new grass pitch and 3G AGP provision Foundation planning Ninefields West Foot-12 Ninefields, it is expected at suitable sites in the local area. Abbey investment of 1. Short 1. High that existing grass pitch Undertake further feasibility work to Youth FC off-site stock will be lost at the evaluate the options identified in the Sport mitigation. site in within the next two Section 7 of this report. England years.
Page 147 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Site Sub-area Action ID Issue / opportunity Key Action(s) Partners Resources Timescale Priority The site suffers from 1. Improve signage or add CCTV to the site, to vandalism, with the nets EFDC Capital cost for reduce vandalism being subject to arson two Roding signage and Roding 2. Seek support from the ECB to mitigate flood 1. Short 1. High years ago (2015). Valley CCTV Valley South Cric-10 risk and if this is not possible, seek a new site The site is also on a flood Cricket Club ECB officer Cricket Club that could be a home ground for the club 2. Medium 2. Medium plain, with the ground being ECB time for flood (potentially via a partnership with nearby submerged approximately Essex CCB risk prevention South Loughton Cricket Club) once a year. Football If the pitches are to Foundation continue being used for Loughton Roding formal affiliated football, the 1. Work in partnership with South Loughton Town Partner funding Valley ancillary facility requires South Foot-13 Cricket Club to replace or refurbish the Council for replacement Medium Medium Playing refurbishment or existing ancillary facilities. South ancillary facility Fields North replacement to ensure it is Loughton fit for purpose for Cricket Club community football. EFDC
Epping Town Council Epping have existing plans to re- Town 1. Support Epping Town Council, Epping furbish the existing Council Officer Stonards Youth FC and Epping FC with plans to ancillary and playing EFDC support and Hill refurbish and invest in ancillary and pitch West Foot-14 pitch provision, which Epping Football Short High Recreation provision, to meet ground requirements will ensure facilities meet Youth Foundation Ground and allow Epping FC to progress through the ground grading Epping FC facility funding the NLS structure. facilities of the FA and Football Football Foundation Foundation
The site currently has a Refurbishment significant level of deficit for South 1. In the short term, refurbish the existing costs for cricket provision, caused Loughton ancillary facility, in conjunction with Loughton ancillary be a high volume of junior Cricket Club South Town Council (See Foot-11) provision 1. Medium 1. High and adult cricket. The site Essex CCB Loughton South Cric-11 2. In the long-term explore options for Feasibility study sits on a floodplain and the ECB Cricket Club relocating the home club to a site that does fees for 2. Long 2. Medium club are therefore Loughton not sit on the flood plain, to allow the club to relocation and considering long-term plans Town grow and develop. site to relocate to a new Council identification ground.
Page 148 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Site Sub-area Action ID Issue / opportunity Key Action(s) Partners Resources Timescale Priority A well-used site with AGP 1. To mitigate the loss of the Ninefields Essex Football and grass provision, this site, work with the Town Council and the County FA Foundation site is at a deficit for leisure park operator to extend the Football funding for football provision. capacity of the existing facility through the Townmead Foundation new pitch provision of additional high-quality grass Leisure West Foot-15 EFDC development. Short High Note: the appropriate pitches. Park Waltham Fees for new actions for this site will 2. Pending the availability of suitable Abbey Town 3AG AGP be influenced by the space, explore the development of a Council feasibility chosen mitigation second 3G AGP, to be used for training IOG study solution for Ninefields. and matchplay. Additional maintenance This a well-used mini- 1. Support Loughton Town Council in remedial Loughton effort to football site that has been Willingale works to repair damage caused by the moto Town address subject to damage, as a 1. Short 1. Low Road cross event Council damage to the South Foot-16 result of a moto-cross Playing 2. Support the Town Council to improve the EFDC facility. event. Furthermore, the site 2. Medium 2. Low Fields maintenance regime on site and improve the Essex Ongoing is at a deficit of provision overall carrying capacity. County FA improved for mini football. maintenance effort
Page 149 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Delivering the Playing Pitch Strategy
To facilitate the development of sport and physical activity across Epping Forest District, it is advised that the Steering Group, set up as part of the Playing Pitch Strategy project, continues to work together to deliver the recommendations defined as part of this strategy. The success of a PPS will be determined by how it is used. It is recommended that the delivery of the strategy is led by the Council, with close support by the steering group that has been developed as part of this project. Further guidance is provided in Sport England’s PPS Guidance in the form of the Stage E commentary and associated checklist. Further detail on how a PPS can be used is included in Technical Appendix G – Applying the Playing Pitch Strategy.
Keeping the PPS relevant and up-to-date To ensure that the Playing Pitch Strategy stays relevant and continues to support stakeholders in the delivery of sport and physical activity facility investment and development, an annual review should be undertaken. This review, which if undertaken regularly will have a greatly reduced scope than the full PPS, will allow the steering group to review progress against the PPS recommendations and action plan. The review will also identify any emerging issues and apply any lessons learnt through recent development or investment projects. Through the development of the PPS, data has been stored and analysed on the 4 global Playing Pitch Strategy Platform, which has up to date supply and demand data for pitch sports across the District. This data is available to Epping Forest District Council and it is recommended that this is used as the starting point for future strategy refresh projects.
Figure 9.1 Epping Forest District Council Playing Pitch Platform
Page 150 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
In the short term, it is advised that EFDC set up an implementation group (which should be a continuation of steering group set up as part of the PPS), to co-ordinate preparation of a short-term action plan, as well as undertaking further sub-regional needs assessment for major cross- boundary development projects. The PPS has identified, on a site by site and sub-area level, the needs for pitch and ancillary provision across Epping Forest District. Where the current level of supply does not meet the current or future needs of residents for specific sports, pitch typologies and ancillaries have been identified as requiring further capacity to meet demand. In order to provide this additional capacity, guidance has been provided as to whether the steering group and partner organisations should look to;
• Enhance existing pitches to increase their capacity and ensure adequate maintenance to maintain the higher use, and/or • Secure greater community access to sites and undertake necessary works to allow for such use to occur, and/or • Provide new playing pitches on new sites (natural or artificial grass pitches). Where the third option has been recommended, further guidance is available from Sport England and National Governing Bodies to advise on the best course of action for local authorities and delivery organisations.
Securing additional or improved pitch provision through development In addition to the specific site by site recommendations identified throughout needs assessment, it is also key that the strategy provides a clear approach to securing playing pitch provision in the case new development, or utilising planning gain and Section 106 (S106) contributions to improve the quantity or accessibility of existing provision16. It is important to note that for any contribution secured through S106, a clear and tailored approach is required, to demonstrate how the contribution will be used to benefit residents. Specifically, the Playing Pitch Strategy’s evidence base and action plan should be used to justify the need arising from the specific development and how these are to be met. The graphic overleaf and associated commentary identifies the stages that should be followed, when utilising the Playing Pitch Strategy to secure additional or improved pitch provision through development.
16 Please see Sport England’s CIL & Planning Obligations Advice note for further detail on recommended approaches to this matter. See the Sport England website and Appendix K of this report.
Page 151 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
Figure 7.1 Securing additional or improved pitch provision through development
Although the population of a single development may not in itself generate the demand for a full pitch, it will still generate additional demand which should be quantified and be met. An example of how the Playing Pitch New Development Calculator can be used to calculate the need for new pitch provision arising from new development is included within the scenario testing section of this strategy,
SECURING ADDITIONAL OR IMPROVED PITCH PROVISION THROUGH DEVELOPMENT In addition to the new or improved pitch provision that is identified in line with the process demonstrated above, the cost for maintenance of new facilities should also be sought for both on- site and off-site provision. For example, where 3G facilities are installed, the carpet will require replacement (approximately every 10 years depending on level of usage and maintenance) and costs towards a sinking fund should also be sought. Given the close working relationships between EFDC, East Herts Council and Harlow Council, especially through the Harlow Garden Town Project, there will be instance where financial contributions should be made on a cross-boundary basis, which will be dependent on the most appropriate way of meeting the needs of residents across the three local authorities. This may include developer contributions from within Epping Forest District funding provision in adjacent local authorities. This is likely to be particular relevant for the Harlow Garden Town project, as it may be pragmatic for facilities that meet the needs of Epping Forest District residents to be developed in the neighbouring Harlow local authority. In this case, cross-boundary contribution will
Page 152 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
allow high quality facilities to be developed in the locations that meet the greatest need, regardless of local authority area boundary. Where a pitch or pitches are required on-site, this may include requiring delivery through a planning policy and a masterplan approach for the whole area. This can ensure that enough suitable land is planned from the outset and provided at no cost. This is particularly important where there is a need for a large land-take associated with pitches. Planning policy should seek to ensure that where sites are developed in phases or through multiple applications, and where the pitch provision is required on-site, that this provision is co- ordinated and delivered by the landowners/developers. In some circumstances, a single site for pitches serving all the development or all its phases can be required. The timing and delivery of the pitches and related changing and parking facilities should be considered in relation to development phasing to achieve a balance between ensuring provision is in place in time to meet the needs of the residents, avoiding pressure being placed on existing facilities, and the financial viability of the development. Where there are separate developments in close proximity that taken together generate a need for a whole pitch, contributions need to be made towards new provision or improving, existing pitches. For new pitches, the planning policy therefore also needs to identify where that pitch and related changing and parking facilities are to be located, how sufficient land is to be secured, and (where known) the individual developments that need to contribute to it. This also applies to where there is a need for a larger strategic site serving a large catchment. This may require the developers to provide the land on-site or for the local planning authority to identify the land through the Local Plan process.
SECURING APPROPRIATE LAND PROVISION FROM NEW DEVELOPMENT Suitable land needs to be provided by developments, in line with the guidelines below;
• Where the investment need is for a new pitch and related changing and parking facilities to meet the demand directly generated by the population of the new development(s), then the developer is expected to meet all these costs. These include provision, maintenance and land costs • Where the demand is for the majority (50% or more) of a pitch and related changing and parking facilities, that is to be provided on site, suitable land will be provided by the developer at no cost, as well as the population-related proportion of the cost of the pitch • Where the demand is for less than 50% of a pitch and related changing and parking facilities, that is to be provided on-site, then suitable land needs to be planned into the development, however only a proportionate amount of this land will be provided for free and the remainder will need to be funded from other sources (e.g. from pooled contributions from other developments, from grants or other sources) • Where the land cannot be provided for on-site because of proven master- planning constraints, financial viability or other relevant reasons, then the local authority may negotiate an appropriate alternative contribution, where this is S106 compliant.
Page 153 of 155 EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
IDENTIFYING THE APPROPRIATE PROVISION FOR CONTRIBUTION As identified in the policy context for this document, the Council will secure developer contributions where appropriate towards future sports infrastructure to support future development in accordance with Local Plan policies and the Infrastructure Delivery Plan. Developer contributions will primarily be sought through S106 agreements, but other funding sources may also be secured where possible. The Council will continue to work with partners and infrastructure providers in order to secure improvements to sport infrastructure to meet the future needs of the District. In the case of S106 contributions, the following should be noted;
• No more than five contributions may be pooled towards the provision of any single infrastructure project or type of infrastructure • Section 106 contributions must be directly related to the development in question, however the impact of any development can affect the wider community. This means that S106 contributions can be used to deliver improvements to facilities that are located some distance away from the development, such as a local town centre or major sports facility hub site • Development that is funded through S106 contribution should be focussed on specific projects, identified through the strategic needs assessments (such as this Playing Pitch Strategy) that have been issued by the Council.
CALCULATING CONTRIBUTIONS To calculate the scale of a developer’s financial contributions for the provision of pitches and related facilities, the following should be used;
• Sport England’s Playing Pitch New Development Calculator should be used to assess pitch and related facilities arising from specific developments. This can be supported and evidenced by Sport England’s latest facility costs for pitches and related facilities, as well as detailed feasibility work and support from qualified cost consultants • The cost of maintenance and sinking funds, where justified, should be calculated using Sport England or NGB advice and supporting documents, however local knowledge and previous costs from similar maintenance contracts should be considered. Maintenance and sinking costs can also be provided by Sport England’s ‘Lifecycle Costs’ (2017) however where specific and robust knowledge is available it is recommended that this is used • Where a land cost is justified this cost will be based on the local market cost for the relevant sport/leisure land use. There may also be a need to add the cost of other local and site-specific costs (e.g. abnormal ground conditions, site access needs etc.) • All costs should date related and inflation needs to be taken into account (e.g. if a facility is to be delivered in 3 years’ time the planning condition must apply an appropriate inflation index). If the PPNCD is to be used, the Council should ensure that the most recent template is used, as financial data changes regularly. Further support is available from Sport England as required. The scenario testing section of this report provides an example of how contributions can be calculated for new developments, using the significant Epping Forest District associated with the Harlow Garden Town project as a case study.
Page 154 of 155
EB714
Epping Forest DC Playing Pitch Strategy
End
4 global | tel:0208 1234 693 email: [email protected] www.4global.com
Page 155 of 155